Three European clubs eye Flamengo starlet after Under-20 World Cup | OneFootball

Iago was the scorer of the goal that leveled the match between Flamengo and Barcelona (ESP) at Maracanã

Hero of Flamengo’s U-20 World Cup title win last Saturday (23), center-back Iago has been stirring up the backstage of the Rio de Janeiro club. According to the portal ‘GE’, teams such as Everton (ENG), Brentford (ENG), and Club Brugge (BEL) have shown interest in the player.

Despite the interest, the European clubs have not made an official offer. The only concrete proposal received for Iago came from Bahia, at the request of coach Rogério Ceni. The club from Bahia offered 2 million euros (about R$ 12.8 million), plus 20% of the rights in a future sale. Flamengo, however, refused and stated that the player is not available on the market.

How did Iago become a hero?

Flamengo was losing 2-1 in a packed Maracanã. Defeat seemed imminent, but in the dying moments, right-back Daniel Sales launched a long ball that found Iago in the Barcelona (ESP) box. The center-back headed the ball over the opposing goalkeeper, sending the match to penalties.

Where did the defender come from?

Iago is in his final year in the U-20 category and has a contract valid until December 2026. Therefore, the tendency is for Flamengo to renew his contract soon. However, the situation is being closely monitored by Volta Redonda, the club that discovered Iago in the U-15s and owns 40% of his economic rights. Flamengo holds the remaining 60% and is reportedly willing to buy another 10% for R$ 500,000.

What are the next competitions?

At 20 years old, Iago will still compete in the Campeonato Carioca U-20 and the Copa do Brasil for Flamengo in 2025. In addition to the intercontinental title, however, the defender has already won the Copa do Brasil U-17, Supercopa do Brasil U-17, Campeonato Brasileiro U-20, South American U-20, and two Libertadores U-20 titles.

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