“We’ve only spoken to two players”, says Fluminense president | OneFootball

Fluminense fans can ease their anxiety over major waves of signings in this transfer window. In an interview with Setor Sul Podcast, president Mattheus Montenegro was categorical in stating that the squad led by Luis Zubeldía is practically set, denying a series of rumors circulating in the press and on social media.

According to the president, the board worked with extremely limited and targeted objectives, focused on historic returns. “Fluminense only spoke to two players in this window: Thiago Silva and Nino. Absolutely everyone else is a lie. Arthur (from Grêmio) even surprised me because we hadn’t even mentioned his name, and it came out in major media outlets,” Montenegro stated.

Regarding Thiago Silva’s much-anticipated return, the president spared no praise, calling him “the best center-back I’ve ever seen play.” However, he disappointed those expecting another huge celebration at the Maracanã. At the player’s own request, there will be no grand unveiling. The priority is his immediate integration into training at CT Carlos Castilho. The debut of the No. 3 shirt should take place in the preparatory friendlies scheduled at the Maracanã against Nova Iguaçu (July 8) and Bahia (July 12).

The obstacle over Nino and Bouanga’s “almost” move

If Thiago Silva is already a reality, Nino’s return is considered “distant.” Montenegro explained that Fluminense even exchanged official offers with the Russian club, but ran into the financial demands and the defender’s initial wishes. “We have two obstacles: reaching an agreement with the Russian club, which rejected our counteroffer and kept its original asking price; and Nino’s priority, which right now is to stay in Europe,” he explained.

The president also shed light on one of the biggest recent mysteries in Fluminense’s transfer market: forward Denis Bouanga. The MLS player was one of 30 names analyzed by the scouting department and had everything agreed with Fluminense at the start of the year. “The club’s board (Los Angeles FC) agreed to the offer and said they would send it signed the next day. But their board vetoed the deal because they didn’t have a replacement at the time,” Mattheus revealed, ruling out, for financial reasons, any new attempt to sign the player at this moment.

Castilho and Paulo Henrique Ganso

Asked about striker Castilho, the president called for patience, noting that the player needs time to adapt to Brazilian football and a run of games, which is currently made difficult by John’s excellent form.

Finally, Montenegro reassured the fans about the situation of the No. 10, Paulo Henrique Ganso. The midfielder missed some recent matches because of the possibility of a transfer within the domestic market, but talks have cooled off. “For now, Ganso remains here, he is a Fluminense player, and we are not in any talks with any club about his future,” he concluded.

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