Saúl ‘wants to leave’ Flamengo amid lack of minutes | OneFootball

According to O Globo, Saúl Ñíguez wants to leave Flamengo, a stance viewed internally as a natural reaction to limited game time.

The Spaniard arrived with high expectations and impressed in 2025 under Filipe Luís before suffering an injury. He then lost his place under coach Leonardo Jardim.

With a contract through December 2028 and among the squad’s highest earners, the 31-year-old is seeking a new destination to finish his career with regular football. He has not appeared in four matches.

In the midfield pecking order he sits behind Pulgar, Jorginho, Evertton Araújo and Paquetá. De La Cruz also contends with chronic physical issues that limit his sequence of games.

His last outing was on 30 May against Coritiba, when he played only 15 minutes. His representatives are already sounding out options, with the transfer window open until 11 September.

In 2026 he has nine appearances, two as a starter, totalling 237 minutes across the Brasileirão, Libertadores and Copa do Brasil.

Even so, Saúl remains available for Wednesday 12 at Cruzeiro in the Mineirão, the first leg of the Libertadores round of 16.

Source: Coluna Do Fla

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”