Saga starts again: Flamengo weigh Chilean swap for Marcos Antonio | OneFootball

An old saga that distressed São Paulo fans in January may be back. Flamengo’s board is reportedly evaluating alternatives to make the signing of midfielder Marcos Antônio feasible. And, aware of São Paulo’s search for a defensive midfielder on the market, it could offer Chilean Erick Pulgar to help things along.

The information was reported on the X profile ‘Radar da Bola,’ run by journalist Rafael Coutinho.

Speaking to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, sources from the top of São Paulo’s football department said they were unaware that the Rio club still maintained interest in their player and noted that there have been no new talks between the teams since the São Paulo side refused to negotiate their No. 8 in January.

According to ‘Radar da Bola,’ among the strategies being evaluated by the red-and-black side is a proposal involving Pulgar’s loan, in addition to the payment of financial compensation set at 6 million euros (about R$33 million at the current exchange rate) to São Paulo.

The financial engineering aims to combine a capital injection with the offer of a technically relevant asset to convince the São Paulo board to release its player.

“So far, the talks remain at the internal study stage, and no official proposal in these terms has been formalized,” the page stressed.

Marcos Antônio is viewed by Flamengo’s coaching staff and football leadership as the ideal profile to fill the gaps in midfield and strengthen the squad for the remainder of the season’s competitions. “The Rio club’s board is monitoring developments in the market scenario, and further movement is expected in the coming days,” the profile added.

Pulgar has played 20 matches this season, eight of them in the Brazilian Championship, which would allow his transfer to another team in the competition. In total, he has scored two goals. Signed in 2022 from Fiorentina of Italy, he is under contract with the Rio club until the end of 2027.

In fact, his future really does seem to be away from Gávea. The player has lost prestige, and Flamengo had even opened talks to negotiate him. One of the interested clubs was rival Santos.

SAGA

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed at the beginning of the year that after the impeachment of Julio Casares and the inauguration of Harry Massis Júnior as president, São Paulo decided to sit down with Flamengo to understand how far the Rio club was really willing to go to land Marcos Antônio, a request from their then-coach Filipe Luís.

Well then, the Morumbi club heard Flamengo’s offer in a virtual meeting. They were willing to give up defensive midfielder Allan, a São Paulo target in the last transfer window, plus a sum of money. The amount was kept confidential, but the report found that it was close to 10 million euros (approximately R$63 million). They also promised São Paulo that they would retain a percentage of the rights to their No. 8.

The problem, for the Rio side, is that São Paulo had reportedly set the price at which it would be willing to negotiate Marcos Antônio: 25 million euros (about R$155 million). A mere formality, since the deal had already fallen apart with Flamengo’s decision to sell Allan to rival Corinthians.

The figure is the highest ever requested by São Paulo in a negotiation. As revealed by the ‘UOL’ portal, it would break the Morumbi club’s transfer record, currently held by the R$108 million raised from Lucas’s move to PSG in 2012.

In January, the newspaper ‘O Globo’ even reported that São Paulo and Flamengo had agreed on a “purchase priority” for the player in July, for the second-half transfer window.

According to a report published on the newspaper’s website, Flamengo initially committed not only to paying upfront the 4.2 million euros (about R$25.5 million) that São Paulo must pay Lazio of Italy for the permanent acquisition of the No. 8, but also to adding more money to the deal. The total would exceed 10 million euros (approximately R$62 million).

Speaking to AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, sources from São Paulo’s top brass denied that this kind of agreement with the Rio club existed at the time.

According to ‘O Globo,’ the agreement between the parties provides that Flamengo would match any offer received by São Paulo for Marcos Antônio in amounts equal to or greater than the amount the São Paulo side will have to pay Lazio.

The same ‘O Globo’ also reported in January that Flamengo would try a stealth move to get Marcos Antônio.

The Rio club expected São Paulo would not be able to come up with the R$25 million to pay Lazio for the permanent purchase taking place in the middle of the year. Betting on this default by Tricolor to the Italians, Fla believed it had a chance to take advantage of the possible slip-up.

According to what the newspaper O Globo published, Flamengo intends to make its move with a major salary offer to Marcos, betting that São Paulo will give up keeping the player to save money.

All speculation, since in March São Paulo announced the renewal of Marcos Antônio’s contract until December 31, 2030, the year the club will celebrate its centenary.

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