Zenit ask Fluminense about Hércules after Botafogo snub for Danilo | OneFootball

Russian club seeks a replacement after a rival midfielder turned them down, while Tricolor weighs the need to hit financial targets without weakening Luis Zubeldía’s team

The European market has turned its attention to Fluminense’s midfield. Zenit, from Russia, has shown interest in signing defensive midfielder Hércules and made an initial inquiry to assess the conditions of a possible deal. The Russian move comes after Botafogo’s Danilo rejected an offer to move to the country’s football league. The information comes from ge.

Despite the interest, there has still been no official contact between the clubs’ boards, nor has any formal offer been made. The situation remains at a preliminary stage, but it could move forward in the coming days, as the Saint Petersburg side is looking for a player with the same characteristics as Tricolor’s number 35.

PHOTO: LUCAS MERÇON / FLUMINENSE F.C.

The inquiry comes at a crucial moment in Fluminense’s season. Over the next 14 days, Tricolor will face a marathon of decisive matches, including the second leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16 against Vasco, a derby against Botafogo, both Copa Libertadores round-of-16 clashes, and a direct showdown with Palmeiras in the Brasileirão at the Maracanã.

The wish of the coaching staff led by Luis Zubeldía is to keep the core of the squad intact for the continental and domestic challenges. However, the Tricolor board is dealing with the financial pressure of reaching its 2026 budget target of R$ 200 million in player sales. So far, the only major revenue generated in this area was the departure of midfielder Bernal to Real Betis of Spain, in a deal worth around US$ 7.2 million (R$ 36.9 million at the current exchange rate).

Signed at the start of 2025 from Fortaleza for R$ 29 million — a figure that gave Fluminense 70% of his economic rights — Hércules quickly established himself as a key piece in midfield.

At 25 years old, the midfielder has made 99 official appearances and played in two friendlies wearing the Tricolor shirt. He was decisive in the Club World Cup campaign, scoring crucial goals in the qualification wins over Inter Milan in the round of 16 and against Al Hilal in the quarterfinals.

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