Pulgar’s love for Flamengo: why he turned down a fortune to stay in Brazil | OneFootball

Chilean midfielder turned down multimillion-dollar offers from the Middle East and signed a new deal with Flamengo until 2029

Erick Pulgar gave Flamengo a ‘proof of love’ and renewed his contract with the club until 2029. The decision came right after he rejected multimillion-dollar offers from the Middle East, with astronomical figures. As a result, the Chilean midfielder chose to stay with Rubro-Negro, even in the face of financially much higher offers.

WHY IS PULGAR’S RENEWAL A ‘PROOF OF LOVE’ FOR FLAMENGO?

Shabab Al-Ahli (UAE) and Al-Jazira (UAE) were interested in signing Pulgar and offered astronomical wages, according to ‘GE’. Therefore, the amounts were considered impossible for Flamengo to even come close to, since Arab clubs do not face major tax concerns in their country. In other words, the Chilean’s choice to stay with Rubro-Negro highlights the emotional weight behind the decision.

HOW DID FLAMENGO CONVINCE PULGAR TO STAY?

José Boto offered one more year on the contract than originally planned, making it valid until 2029. Therefore, the proposal sought to make up for the financial gap compared to the offers from abroad. So money did not speak louder, and Pulgar agreed to remain with Rubro-Negro.

In this way, the midfielder’s desire is to cement his legacy at the club, just as Bruno Henrique and Arrascaeta have done. However, the decision also reinforces the emotional weight of the choice, beyond the purely financial factor. The release clause in the new contract is 10 million dollars, around R$ 50 million.

WHY DID FLAMENGO DECIDE TO RENEW WITH PULGAR AGAIN?

The new deal ends negotiations that gained momentum in recent weeks. It is worth remembering that Pulgar’s previous contract ran until the end of 2027, but he started attracting interest from the foreign market, as mentioned. As a result, the Chilean’s release clause had dropped to an amount considered ‘affordable’.

Given the situation, the Rubro-Negro board opened talks to readjust the Chilean’s contract once again. Therefore, Flamengo had already renewed with Pulgar in March 2025, when it extended the deal until 2027. However, the club returned to the negotiating table just over a season later.

WHAT DID PULGAR SAY ABOUT THE RENEWAL?

Flamengo officially announced Pulgar’s renewal last Wednesday (02). After signing the new deal, valid until 2029, the Chilean midfielder opened up about the decision. The number 15 even cited three reasons for staying: his family’s wish, his daily work, and the affection of the Rubro-Negro fans.

“Actually, I’m very happy. This is what my family and I wanted. The time I’ve been here, how much I work, and the perseverance I have have led me to be the player I am today. And the most important thing is that the fans’ affection is the greatest reward I have,” said Pulgar.

WHAT IS PULGAR’S RECORD WEARING THE FLAMENGO SHIRT?

Pulgar has been at Flamengo since August 2022, and his debut came on the 28th of that month. The midfielder made his debut in a 1-0 win over Botafogo, in the 24th round of the Brasileirão. Since then, the Chilean has already played 173 matches wearing the shirt of the Most Beloved.

During that period, the Chilean player recorded 108 wins, 39 draws, and 26 losses for the Rio club. In addition, the number 5 has also scored six goals and provided nine assists over four seasons. At 32 years old, Pulgar has become a regular part of Flamengo’s squad.

In addition, the Chilean also has 54 appearances and four goals for the Chile national team. With ‘La Roja’, the midfielder won the 2016 Copa América with the Chilean national team. In this way, his international experience reinforces the importance of the renewal for the Rubro-Negro squad.

IS PULGAR AVAILABLE TO FACE REMO?

Erick Pulgar took a blow to the thigh in the match against Mirassol and became a concern when he left the field in pain. However, the midfielder has recovered and is available for Flamengo this Sunday (06). So the team faces Remo in the 26th round of the Brasileirão, at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time), at Mangueirão Stadium.

In this way, Rede Globo (free-to-air TV), Premiere (pay-per-view), and GE TV (YouTube) will broadcast the match. Coluna do Fla’s full coverage will also follow the clash across three platforms: the website, social media, and YouTube.

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