Fluminense hit Libertadores deadline with two signings, seven exits | OneFootball

Fluminense reaches the Friday (7) deadline to make changes to its Conmebol Libertadores squad list with a quiet transfer window. Until the close of the registration period for the round of 16, at 6 p.m., Tricolor has officially announced only two arrivals: Thiago Silva and Hulk.

The team coached by Luis Zubeldía will face Independiente Rivadavia of Argentina in the round of 16 of the continental competition. The first match will be played next Tuesday (11) at 7 p.m. at the Maracanã. As they finished the group stage as the lowest-ranked runner-up, Fluminense will decide the tie away from home and will also play the following knockout rounds away from its own stadium if it advances.

Despite fans’ expectations for reinforcements for the rest of the season, the board has made few moves in the market. So far, only Hulk and Thiago Silva have been added to the squad for the Libertadores.

On the other hand, the registered squad has lost seven players since the start of the competition. In June, president Mattheus Montenegro said in an interview that he considered the squad complete and that the club would only look for reinforcements in the event of further departures. Even after the transfer of Bernal, who had been part of the team’s rotation, Fluminense chose not to sign a replacement for the position.

Behind the scenes, the board’s main target in this transfer window was center-back Nino. However, talks did not progress due to the player’s lack of interest in returning to Brazilian football at this time and the fee demanded by Zenit.

With the registration deadline ending this Friday, attention now turns to a possible last-minute move. If there are no developments by 6 p.m., Fluminense will play the Libertadores round of 16 with only two reinforcements compared with the squad registered in the previous phase.

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