São Paulo near deal with Flamengo for Marcos Antônio option | OneFootball

São Paulo and Flamengo have reportedly, at last, reached an agreement this Thursday (5th) regarding the transfer of midfielder Marcos Antônio to the Rio de Janeiro team.

The information released by the newspaper ‘O Globo‘ indicates that the Rubro-Negro has agreed with the Tricolor 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 has not only initially committed to paying, upfront, the 4.2 million euros (about R$ 25.5 million) that São Paulo must pay Lazio, from Italy, for the definitive acquisition of the number 8, but will also add more money to the deal. The total would exceed 10 million euros (approximately R$ 62 million).

To AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR, sources from São Paulo’s top management deny that there is a deal with the Rio team, but admit that negotiations are indeed along these lines.

According to ‘O Globo‘, the agreement between the parties stipulates that Flamengo must match any offer received by São Paulo for Marcos Antônio that is equal to or greater than the amount the São Paulo club will have to pay Lazio.

The clauses do not provide for a similar situation for offers coming from abroad. Flamengo will not enter a bidding war for the midfielder if he attracts interest from foreign teams, especially European ones.

SOAP OPERA

AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR revealed last week 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 much the Rio team is really willing to invest in Marcos Antônio, a request from their coach, Filipe Luís.

Well, the Morumbi club heard Flamengo’s offer in a virtual meeting. They agreed to give up midfielder Allan, a São Paulo target in the current 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 a percentage of the rights to their number 8.

São Paulo rejected the offer. But, as AMT found out, executive Rui Costa promised that talks were not over. He was asked by José Boto if an in-person meeting could be held on Wednesday (28th), taking advantage of the Rio team’s stay in São Paulo for the opening round of the Brazilian Championship between the clubs.

Well, the meeting took place yesterday afternoon. And São Paulo set the price for which they would agree to negotiate Marcos Antônio: 25 million euros (about R$ 155 million).

This is the highest amount ever requested by São Paulo in a negotiation. As revealed by the portal ‘UOL‘, it would break the club’s transfer record, which belongs to the R$ 108 million earned from Lucas’s move to PSG in 2012.

In practice, the amount is even higher, since Costa also wants Allan’s release as part of the deal, arguing that he would need the reinforcement due to the gap that would open in the squad.

As expected, the reaction from the Rio team was as negative as possible. Boto said Flamengo has no intention of paying that much for Marcos Antônio. And he heard from his São Paulo counterpart that Marcos Antônio is considered indispensable, just like Kaio Jorge at Cruzeiro, another target pursued by the Rubro-Negro this window.

Faced with the impasse, the Rio team’s negotiations to sign the midfielder are temporarily suspended, even though their executive promised to take the situation for internal discussion with the board.

DRAGGED-OUT NEGOTIATION (FOR THEM)

To get the player, Flamengo decided to put its support machine into action and, since Thursday afternoon (8th), reporters and influencers from the Rio team have been dropping the bomb: Marcos Antônio has given a positive signal for a move to Gávea after a phone call with Filipe Luís.

The news hit like a bomb on the Tricolor side, according to the report. And it somewhat buried the attempt to reassure the fans about the stay of last year’s most important outfield player. As part of the effort to calm fans about the ‘little engine’ of São Paulo staying, it was even leaked that he would wear the number 8 shirt this year, now vacant after Oscar’s retirement.

But would he really wear it?

Well, it’s hard to say. AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR learned from São Paulo football sources that the information from Flamengo is accurate. And so is São Paulo’s. How to explain? Simple: Marcos Antônio does not oppose a move to Rio de Janeiro (SP). But he also doesn’t want any trouble with the Morumbi club. If he stays, he stays, with no hard feelings or frustrations.

It’s just another chapter in the latest soap opera at São Paulo. And it’s directly related to the club’s negotiations to sign Allan. Behind the scenes, it’s said in Barra Funda that the Flamengo side set a trap. And the signs are more than clear.

After Flamengo’s football manager, José Boto, returned from Europe and gave a positive signal to negotiate Allan’s loan to Tricolor, the Rio club changed its tone after the proposal was taken to their board. And, as had been speculated since December, the attempt is to get Marcos Antônio in the negotiations.

The report found that Boto gave the news to São Paulo manager Rui Costa on Thursday morning, justifying that it was a decision from his board. And that, for the midfielder, he would agree to more than just giving up Allan. He would also give a sum to Tricolor for the deal. A kindness from the wealthy Rio team to the struggling São Paulo side.

As if bad luck wasn’t enough. Costa, who rejected Flamengo’s first offer, ended up leaking to them that things are not going well at Morumbi due to the impeachment vote of president Julio Casares, which will happen next week. To Rio journalists, the information is that all negotiations at São Paulo are on hold until then. Tricolor, of course, denies it.

Whether it’s just Flamengo posturing or not, time will tell. The fact is that the Rio team has put its machine to work. They want Marcos Antônio and are sparing no effort. As the signs are clear this season, just look at their negotiations for Kaio Jorge, from Cruzeiro.

Rumors circulated on Thursday night that the midfielder’s agent was at the training center. Which could be another indication. Even if São Paulo exercises its right to buy the player from Lazio, who can guarantee there’s money to give Marcos Antônio a salary increase?

The midfielder is, today, without false modesty, the key piece in coach Hernán Crespo’s system and considered the pillar of the team for 2026. That is, for now, São Paulo’s official stance is that there is no interest in letting him go. At the turn of the year, there was information that the Morumbi club would act and advance the payment to Lazio. But time passed and nothing was done. The problem? Money, obviously.

The player landed at Morumbi in July 2024, loaned for a season by the Italians with a purchase clause stipulated in case of meeting appearance targets.

Well, in July this year, after intense negotiations—since the Tricolor club was constantly struggling with its well-known lack of funds—São Paulo managed to get Lazio to extend the loan for another year. And the purchase, previously tied to performance, became mandatory.

Now, São Paulo has committed to paying 4.2 million euros (about R$ 27.5 million) to have Marcos Antônio permanently. The agreement stipulates payment in three annual installments, with the first due in June 2026.

With this, Tricolor says it is protected against ‘gatecrashers’ who might try to swoop in and take the midfielder from Morumbi. Of course, if the ‘feared’ Flamengo really wants the player, the negotiation would be quite complex and would also have to involve the Italians, in addition to the two Brazilian clubs.

The plan is relatively simple: split the first installment in two and make the payment still in January. Secure the guarantee that the purchase is finalized. And, with Lazio’s permission, sign a definitive contract with the midfielder.

If Marcos Antônio has changed his mind and now accepts to play for Flamengo, it’s a turnaround, since before joining São Paulo, he turned down an approach from the Rio team.

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