Inside: Flamengo reject Almada's near-R$3m wage, citing squad balance | OneFootball

Thiago Almada was asking for a salary that would drastically exceed the wages currently paid to Flamengo’s top players

While negotiating with Flamengo and River Plate (ARG), midfielder Thiago Almada chose to sign with the Argentine side. Now, the Rio club has turned its attention to forward Luiz Henrique. But how has Flamengo’s board been handling these talks? Coluna do Fla found out.

According to journalist Mônica Alves, Thiago Almada was asking for a salary that would drastically exceed the wages currently paid to Flamengo’s main players. Because of that, internally, the club’s leadership felt that such a gap would create an imbalance in the dressing room and harm the group’s harmony.

Therefore, Flamengo refused to raise its salary offer, a figure already considered high. The club’s football director, José Boto, even traveled to Argentina to negotiate with Almada’s camp, and it was at that time that he communicated the decision.

HOW MUCH DID ALMADA ASK FROM FLAMENGO?

According to journalist Rodrigo Mattos of UOL, as confirmed by Coluna do Fla’s report, Thiago Almada’s salary demand was 6 million euros (R$ 35 million) net per year, which would amount to more than R$ 2.9 million per month. In other words, with taxes, the cost would be even higher.

DO FLAMENGO HAVE ANOTHER TARGET IN THE MARKET?

While the Thiago Almada deal did not have a ‘happy ending,’ Luiz Henrique’s situation has started to mobilize Flamengo’s directors. The Rio club remains interested in signing the forward, currently at Zenit (RUS), and is working behind the scenes to make the deal happen.

The registration deadline for the Libertadores round of 16 only runs until this Friday (07). However, Flamengo’s board sees the squad as strong and capable enough to face Cruzeiro. Thus, the priority remains focused on structuring the arrival of reinforcements without compromising the established financial plan. It is worth remembering that the transfer window remains open until September 11.

PRESSURE FROM INTERMEDIARIES?

The negotiation scenario is somewhat complex, as agents try to inflate transfer values when they sense the management’s desire to quickly bring in reinforcements. However, the stance adopted by Flamengo’s directors will remain unchanged. Following the same line used in the Thiago Almada talks, the Rio club does not intend to give in to pressure for higher figures, whether for Luiz Henrique or any other player.

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