NOW | Flamengo announce Anthony Valencia signing, first deal this window | OneFootball

23-year-old Ecuadorian winger arrives from Royal Antwerp (BEL) to fill the void left by Gonzalo Plata

Flamengo announced, this Tuesday (01), the signing of forward Anthony Valencia. The club has therefore confirmed its first addition of this transfer window, with the player signing a contract with the Rubro-Negro until 2031.

Who is Anthony Valencia, Flamengo’s new signing

Anthony Valencia is 23 years old and plays as a right winger. The deal will cost the Rubro-Negro 5 million euros, around R$ 30 million. In this way, Flamengo secures another young option for Leonardo Jardim’s attacking unit.

Before accepting Flamengo’s offer, Valencia played for Royal Antwerp in Belgium. For the Belgian club, the forward made 84 appearances and scored 13 goals. The Ecuadorian also provided four assists during his time at the European club.

Valencia arrives to replace Gonzalo Plata in the squad

Flamengo sold Gonzalo Plata to Dynamo Moscow (RUS) for 12 million euros. In Brazilian reais, the deal amounts to R$ 72.1 million. Therefore, the club used part of the money received to strengthen the attack.

That way, Valencia arrives precisely to fill the gap left by the Ecuadorian forward who was sold to Russia. Even so, the coaching staff views the signing as a medium-term project, since the player is expected to go through an adaptation period to Brazilian football.

Flamengo races against time because of the Libertadores

The signing, however, runs into a tight Conmebol deadline. Flamengo will face Independiente del Valle (EQU) in the Libertadores quarterfinals. Therefore, the club needs to register Anthony Valencia as soon as possible.

The deadline to submit the list of registered players to Conmebol ends this Friday (04). So, the board is rushing to complete the paperwork in time. Even so, there is no guarantee that the forward will make his debut in the continental competition right away.

With Anthony Valencia, Flamengo increases its options on the right side of the attack, where Luiz Araújo also plays. Therefore, Rubro-Negro fans are already looking forward to the debut of the new Ecuadorian signing. The board is betting on a player with recent experience in European football.

Internal competition should benefit the overall performance of Flamengo’s attacking sector. This gives the club another option for matches in a crowded schedule. Valencia, meanwhile, arrives with the mission of adapting quickly to Brazilian football.

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