Overseas club agrees terms with Pulgar, to pay Flamengo penalty

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Coluna do Fla

·16 July 2026

Overseas club agrees terms with Pulgar, to pay Flamengo penalty

Erick Pulgar’s release clause recently decreased

Flamengo are negotiating with three players in this transfer window. While the squad could see new arrivals, there is also a risk of departures. One of the players highly valued on the market is Erick Pulgar. Clubs from abroad have signaled interest in paying the release clause to take the midfielder away from Mengão. One of the player’s representatives even said that an agreement has already been reached with one of them.

According to information reported by GE, teams from Saudi Arabia and the United States have shown interest in paying the release clause. In July of this year, the amount dropped to US$4 million (R$20.3 million at the current exchange rate). The player’s contract with Flamengo runs until the end of 2027.

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It is important to point out that Flamengo does not need to be notified. After all, if a club pays the release clause and Erick Pulgar responds positively to the salary offer and contract length, the Rubro-Negro can do nothing to keep the Chilean.

WHAT DID JOSÉ BOTO SAY RECENTLY ABOUT PULGAR?

To renew Erick Pulgar’s contract last year, Flamengo used the strategy of lowering the player’s release clause starting in July 2026. That was because, at the time, the player was not very sure whether he wanted to stay at the club. However, he agreed after feeling valued by then-head coach Filipe Luís. In a recent interview, football director José Boto appeared calm about the situation.

— It depends on what low means to you. It depends on whether 5 or 6 million euros is little money for a 32- or 33-year-old player. It depends a lot on your point of view. But we are aware of it, we have already spoken with the player, and the player is happy here. We are not afraid of losing him — Boto told ESPN.

WHAT DOES PULGAR’S CAMP THINK?

According to GE, one of the clubs has already agreed on salary and signing bonus terms with Pulgar. Therefore, if the information is confirmed, the midfielder may be living his final days as a Flamengo player. The player is 32 years old and joined the club in 2022.

— I greatly respect the director’s position and I will not comment on his statements. Everyone has the right to express themselves in the way they see fit. What I can say is that the player has a contract, but he also needs to be valued. There are three clubs from Saudi Arabia, one of which has already agreed salary and signing bonus terms, and clubs from the United States have also shown interest and are advancing in talks. Now, we will wait for the next steps. If an offer comes up that meets the conditions set out in the contract, with payment of the release clause, the natural path is a transfer — said a person close to the player who asked to remain anonymous.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— Flamengo trusted that a 32-year-old player would not be a target in the market. However, Pulgar still holds strong appeal. Some fans may criticize the board for lowering the clause, but it is worth noting that this was a key condition for the No. 5 to renew his contract last year — opined Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

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