Is De La Cruz up for sale? Flamengo director reveals midfielder's future | OneFootball

On the eve of the Libertadores final, Boto states that every Flamengo player is negotiable

Despite the proximity of two titles, the year 2025 for Flamengo had some notable controversies. Among the headaches for the Most Beloved, was the physical condition of the Uruguayan Nicolás De La Cruz, who, according to director José Boto, is not on the market.

— All players are negotiable, as long as it's for the price we deem correct. At this moment, we are not considering negotiating De La Cruz -, stated Boto, on Thursday (27), to the Portuguese portal A Bola.

What is the controversy involving De La Cruz at Flamengo?

The Uruguayan midfielder had a good run of performances at the beginning of the year. De La Cruz even scored a free-kick goal in the group stage of this year's Libertadores. However, the player's minutes on the field became more scarce.

The scarcity reached a point where De La Cruz wasn't even listed. Flamengo always communicated that the player was undergoing load management. Until doctor José Luiz Runco exposed the player's situation.

“Player bought under another management, without the slightest condition, as he has a chronic and irreparable injury in his right knee, and also an injury in his left knee. And, regarding the sale, only if there is a club interested for another reason and not for competitive football,” highlighted the former chief medical officer of Flamengo in a leaked message.

How did Flamengo react to the scandal?

A day after the message was leaked, Runco was fired. Since then, the doctor frequently appears in podcasts to explain how he had no intention of harming Flamengo or De La Cruz.

Did De La Cruz miss many games?

In 2025 alone, De La Cruz was in the club's medical department five times. Thus, the Uruguayan missed 22 games in the season, played 29 matches, and scored one goal. The midfielder is available for the next game.

What is Flamengo's next game?

With De La Cruz available, Flamengo will take the field this Saturday (29), against Palmeiras, starting at 6 PM (Brasília time), in Lima, for the final of the Libertadores. As usual, Coluna do Fla brings all the information about the match.

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