Flamengo steal a march on Manchester City, close in on midfielder | OneFootball

16-year-old Cristian Araújo stands out at Mirassol

Flamengo is close to finalizing the signing of another youth player. It is 16-year-old Cristian Araújo from Mirassol. The youngster was on the radar of the City Group, run by Manchester City (ENG), but Mengão managed to beat the competition and is close to signing the player.

Cristian Araújo is already in Rio de Janeiro for medical exams. Having previously played in Palmeiras’ youth academy, the midfielder stood out in the latest Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior with Mirassol, starting despite being only 15 years old in an under-20 tournament. The youngster showed personality and skill throughout the competition.

If all goes well, Cristian Araújo is expected to be used in Flamengo’s under-20 team, even though he is still age-eligible for the under-17 squad. The position is one of the weak spots for the Rubro-Negro side coached by Bruno Pivetti, and the Mirassol player would arrive to compete with Guilherme for a spot until the end of the season.

SO, IS THE YOUTH TRANSFER MARKET HEATING UP?

In addition, in 2026, Flamengo has already signed full-back Gustavo Ramirez (ex-Mirassol), center-back Muñoz (ex-Portuguesa), and defensive midfielder Pedro Henrique (Paysandu). Only the latter has not yet joined Mengão, as he remained in Belém on loan, where he will play in the Copa do Brasil and Série C of the Brasileirão.

AFTER ALL, WHEN DOES FLAMENGO’S YOUTH TEAM PLAY AGAIN?

Still without Cristian Araújo, Flamengo takes the field in the Under-20 Brasileirão this Thursday (07) against Palmeiras in the 10th round. Kickoff is at 6:00 PM (Brasília time) at Estádio Luso-Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro. The São Paulo side leads the competition, while Mengão sits in ninth place.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.