Change of tack! Flamengo close in on midfielder after ‘no’ | OneFootball

Paysandu player Pedro Henrique had turned down Flamengo, but changed his mind

Flamengo is close to announcing another signing for its youth ranks. This Monday (13), the Rubro-Negro moved forward with the signing of 18-year-old defensive midfielder Pedro Henrique from Paysandu. The youngster has long been a target for Mengão, but the player had turned down the Most Beloved on other occasions.

According to GE, Flamengo will pay R$ 3 million for 85% of Pedro Henrique, who will sign a three-year contract. If the deal is completed, it will be the biggest sale in Paysandu’s history. The expectation is that the formalities will be completed in the next few hours.

WHY DID PEDRO HENRIQUE SAY NO TO FLAMENGO?

Pedro Henrique is an undisputed starter for Paysandu’s first team, but Flamengo made it clear that they wanted the youngster to play for the under-20 team. In Mengão’s first approach, the player was unhappy with the idea of being ‘demoted’ to the youth setup. In addition, clubs from Portugal had inquired about the player, who prioritized a move to Europe.

Besides Estrela Amadora (POR) and Braga (POR), Internacional and Fortaleza are also closely monitoring Pedro Henrique. The defensive midfielder has made 11 appearances this season, nine as a starter, and scored two goals. The youngster has been used regularly by the senior team since the closing stretch of last year’s Brasileirão Série B.

The high point of Pedro Henrique’s short career is the 2026 Campeonato Paraense title. Even though Paysandu is currently in the third division, Papão managed to beat its biggest rival, Remo, from Série A, in the state championship final.

WHO WILL HE COMPETE WITH?

As a likely new signing for Flamengo, Pedro Henrique will compete for a spot in the Rubro-Negro under-20 team with some youngsters who have already been given chances in training sessions and even matches with the professional squad, such as Pablo Lucio, Luiz Felipe and Kaio Nóbrega.

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