Ecuadorian press says Flamengo’s Plata is close to joining Zenit | OneFootball

Plata made headlines in Ecuador in the last few hours over a possible move to Europe

The “speculation market” is buzzing not only in Brazil. In the last few hours, the Ecuadorian press has reported that Gonzalo Plata is close to reaching an agreement with Zenit, from Russia. The winger will miss Flamengo’s game this Wednesday (29) against Internacional due to knee tendinitis.

“Gonzalo Plata is very close to becoming a new Zenit player. The Ecuadorian winger is in negotiations, which could be finalized in the coming days,” wrote Ecuador’s ‘Mundo Deportivo.’ Over the last 24 hours, several outlets in the country have echoed the report.

The player’s stock has risen after scoring the winning goal for Ecuador against Germany in the last World Cup. The strike was crucial in sending the South American team into the knockout stage of the tournament. However, the team’s run in the competition was short-lived, as Ecuador were eliminated by Mexico in the second round.

WHAT ARE PLATA’S NUMBERS IN 2026?

For Flamengo, Gonzalo Plata has made 24 appearances, scoring two goals and providing three assists. However, since Ecuador’s elimination from the World Cup, the forward has played only 33 minutes, when he asked to be substituted still in the first half of the match against Chapecoense. In addition, the player was unavailable last Sunday (26) against São Paulo.

PLATA OUT, LUIZ HENRIQUE IN?

Last Tuesday (28), the agent of Luiz Henrique, William Bento, was spotted with Flamengo football director José Boto in Porto Alegre. As a result, Rubro-Negro fans got excited on social media about the possibility of the Zenit player joining Flamengo.

According to journalist Raisa Simplicio, a swap is possible. However, Flamengo would send Gonzalo Plata plus cash in order to sign Luiz Henrique. That is because Mengão values the Ecuadorian at around 25 million euros (R$ 147 million). The former Botafogo player, meanwhile, is valued by the Russians at 35 million euros (R$ 205 million).

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— If you look at the numbers coldly, Plata and Luiz Henrique have similar career stats, with the Ecuadorian even holding a slight edge. However, despite playing the same position, I see the Brazilian fitting Flamengo’s system better —, began Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

— Plata is a player who cuts inside more and isn’t very skillful. Luiz Henrique, on the other hand, stretches the field and has the added quality of breaking lines with dribbles. Since 90% of Flamengo’s opponents play in a low block, Rubro-Negro need a player like that, someone silky, to get past opposing defensive systems —, he added.

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