"No one wants me here": Wesley on failed Flamengo-Atalanta deal | OneFootball

Atalanta (ITA) had advanced negotiations to sign Wesley in August 2024

Standout player for Flamengo in 2025, Wesley was sold to Roma (ITA) in the last transfer window, fulfilling his dream of playing in Europe. Before that, however, in 2024, the full-back was very close to leaving Mengão and becoming the newest player for Atalanta (ITA), but the negotiations fell through. The young player even recalled his reaction after finding out he would be staying at Fla.

— It was a dream to play in Europe. So, when the 20 million euro offer came in and I wasn’t even playing... “these guys are crazy.” 20 million and I’m not even playing? And when I did play, I’d miss a pass here and there on camera — he said, before concluding:

— How are these guys going to pay 20 million for me? Flamengo accepts, there’s all that drama. I said, “It’s not possible that I’m going to stay here. I’m not doing well here, nobody wants me here anymore.” Everything happened, it worked out. Who’s going to Roma? Gasperini — Wesley concluded, in an interview with ‘TNT Sports’.

How did the negotiation between Flamengo and Atalanta go?

In August 2024, Flamengo accepted Atalanta’s offer for Wesley. At the time, the Italian club’s offer could reach 20 million euros (R$ 120 million at the exchange rate then), with 16 million euros (R$ 96 million) as a fixed amount and the rest in bonuses based on contractual goals.

However, even with the offer accepted, Atalanta gave up on signing Wesley. That’s because the club was waiting for Flamengo’s official documentation to seal the transfer, but the ‘paperwork’ arrived several hours late. In the text sent by Fla’s management, there was a clause stating that the full-back would take a while to travel, which angered the Italians.

How much did Roma pay for Wesley?

At the time, Atalanta’s coach was Gian Piero Gasperini. However, at the end of the season, the coach left the club and signed with Roma. Thus, the manager once again requested Wesley’s signing. As a result, the team from the Italian capital shelled out 25 million euros (R$ 162 million), an amount that could reach 30 million euros (R$ 194 million) if the player meets contractual goals.

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