Flamengo get golden chance to sign Danilo after Botafogo row | OneFootball

Danilo asked not to play this Sunday (17), showing a desire to keep doors open for Flamengo and the domestic market

Flamengo received an important ‘green light’ behind the scenes to move forward with the signing of defensive midfielder Danilo. The player forced his absence from Botafogo’s match against Corinthians this Sunday (17) precisely so as not to block a possible transfer to the Rubro-Negro. As a result, the player asked to be left out of the match just a few hours before kickoff, citing fatigue and personal issues.

However, according to ‘GE’, the real reason for his absence was purely strategic. Danilo was sitting right at the limit of 12 matches in the Brasileirão, because if he took the field he would reach 13 appearances. Under the rules, that would prevent him from playing for Flamengo or any other Série A club later this year.

As a result of that decision, things ‘turned sour’ behind the scenes at the rival club. Coach Franclim Carvalho accepted the request, but did not hide his dissatisfaction and took a jab at the player in the press conference, saying that the collective matters more than the individual.

Meanwhile, Flamengo’s board is watching the battle from the best seats in the house. That is because the Most Beloved knows that the midfielder’s attitude proves his strong desire to keep the door open to the Brazilian market, where the Rubro-Negro appears as one of the main favorites.

WHY DID THE MATCH LIMIT TURN INTO A BEHIND-THE-SCENES BATTLE?

Besides Flamengo’s interest, the fear of suffering a serious injury weighed heavily on the player’s mind. Danilo was coming off a run of four matches in just 12 days and had been complaining of pain in his left ankle.

Moreover, with coach Carlo Ancelotti set to announce this Monday (18) the final Brazil squad list for the World Cup, the midfielder preferred not to take any risks. Therefore, Danilo chose to preserve himself for the World Cup, which is the biggest dream of his career.

On the other hand, Botafogo is going through a huge financial crisis and needs to sell Danilo to pay the bills of the SAF. The black-and-white club hopes to receive 40 million euros (around R$ 234 million at the current exchange rate) for the player after the World Cup.

However, the European market is signaling that the real offers should be in the range of 25 to 30 million euros (R$ 146 million to R$ 176 million). For that reason, the black-and-white executives internally admit that it will be almost impossible to keep the midfielder at Botafogo in the second half of the year.

WHAT ARE FLAMENGO’S CHANCES OF GETTING THE DEAL DONE?

Aware of their Rio rival’s financial fragility, Flamengo has already made the first contacts with Danilo’s agents. The player has said that he gives priority to European football, but he responded positively to Mengão’s interest, praising the club’s structure and the chance to keep living in Rio.

On the other hand, Palmeiras promises to be Flamengo’s main rival in this race, since president Leila Pereira has personally entered the talks. In any case, the Rubro-Negro continues to monitor the situation and is preparing a strong offer to try to complete the signing after the World Cup.

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