José Boto in Argentina as Flamengo try to head off Almada bidding war | OneFootball

According to Globo.com, Flamengo executive director José Boto has travelled to Argentina for face-to-face talks with Agustin Jimenez, Thiago Almada’s representative, as the Rio club make a final push and seek to avoid an auction. The board have set a deadline for early this week.

Almada is attracted by Flamengo’s financial proposal, however he is prioritising a return to Argentine football for family reasons, which has stalled an agreement. He is on holiday in Ibiza with his wife while talks continue.

River Plate have revived their move, having offered €20 million to Atlético de Madrid but struggled to provide the required guarantees. Flamengo have greater prestige and are offering higher figures, helped by the recent Samuel Lino negotiation.

Boto attended River Plate’s match against Rosario Central at the Monumental de Núñez on Sunday alongside Almada’s representative. Within Flamengo, some believe River’s renewed push could be aimed at inflating the player’s terms and buying time for any European proposal.

The main obstacle remains financial demands from Almada and his entourage. Any delay risks blocking changes to Flamengo’s Libertadores round of 16 registration, despite the hope of adding him.

Almada, developed at Vélez, played for Botafogo in 2024 before joining Atlético de Madrid, where he has not enjoyed a regular run. He has signalled positively to Flamengo, and River have also received encouragement, consistent with his preference for Argentina if he leaves Europe.

Neither Flamengo nor River have an agreement with Atlético. The Spanish club are waiting for Almada’s decision, with a preference for Flamengo, but will respect his choice as they are open to a sale.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”