World Cup striker offered to Flamengo | OneFootball

Simon Banza, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, had his name rejected by Flamengo

It is no secret that Flamengo are looking for a center forward to rotate with Pedro in the role. That is why agents from across the football world try to place players at the current South American champions. In recent days, the name of Simon Banza, who played in the last World Cup for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was offered to the Rubro-Negro.

However, according to information released by journalist Venê Casagrande, Flamengo showed no interest in the player. Although the club’s football department rates him as a ‘good’ player, they believe Banza has more of Bruno Henrique’s characteristics than Pedro’s.

Simon Banza is 30 years old and currently plays for Al Jazira (UAE). At the World Cup, the striker played two matches but did not score or provide an assist. Last season, the player made 23 appearances and scored nine times for his current club, where he has played since last year.

The forward has also had spells at Lens (FRA), Avenir Béziers (FRA), Titus Pétange (LUX), Famalicão (POR), Braga (POR) and Trabzonspor (TUR). For the Turkish side, in fact, in 2024/25, Banza had the best season of his career, with 22 goals and six assists in 27 matches.

IS A STRIKER COMING TO FLAMENGO?

After trying for ‘big names’ such as Thiago Almada and Luiz Henrique, Flamengo are expected to look for ‘less well-known’ names on the market. The club are monitoring young players in Argentina with resale potential. However, so far, no player is in negotiations.

The deadline to sign players is short, after all, the transfer window closes on September 11. Before that, still in the same week, the deadline for registrations for the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals also ends, when Flamengo will face Independiente del Valle (ECU), between 8 and 10/09, on dates yet to be defined by Conmebol.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— Banza’s numbers are very good. But, with all due respect, a player who is not even a starter for the Democratic Republic of the Congo probably is not at the level to play for Flamengo. I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen him play, but the fact that he was on the bench at the World Cup is an important piece of information —, opined Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

— He came on in the final five minutes against Portugal in the opener. Then he played 33 minutes against Colombia. He did not even get off the bench against Uzbekistan and England. If he were younger, it might be worth the gamble. But at 30, it would be a risk —, he added.

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