👀 President addresses Fluminense’s approach to Neymar after rumours | OneFootball

The president of Fluminense, Mário Bittencourt, denied that the club has made any recent contact with Neymar or with the staff of the Santos striker.

The statement came in the wake of rumors that the Tricolor would have the forward as their main target for the 2026 season, regardless of the situation of the São Paulo club.

“There has been no recent contact between Fluminense and the player or his staff. Fluminense respects Santos, and both are focused on finishing the Brasileirão well,” Bittencourt posted.

The topic was also fueled by comments made by Nilton Petrone, known as Filé, Fluminense’s head of physiotherapy, on the Setor Sul Podcast.

During the podcast, Filé praised Neymar, calling him the “last genius of Brazilian football,” but emphasized that a possible move to Flu would depend on the player’s desire and his commitment to the club’s internal processes.

The speculation also gained momentum because Thiago Silva, Fluminense’s defender, is a close friend of Neymar and is reportedly lobbying for his signing.

The pair are often seen exchanging affectionate messages on social media.

Negotiation almost happened before the Club World Cup

This isn’t the first time Neymar’s name has been linked to Fluminense.

Before the Club World Cup, the club even negotiated a possible partnership with Santos to have the player just for the tournament — something that, according to Neymar himself, “almost happened.”

At the time, Mário Bittencourt even spoke with Renato Gaúcho, then Flu’s coach, who approved the idea.

Neymar thanked them for the contact, asked Fluminense to speak with his father and agent, and later informed them that he preferred to stay at Santos to focus on his physical recovery.

In an interview during the World Cup, Neymar confirmed that the deal came “very close” to happening:

“I was having these conversations with some teams to play the World Cup. Fluminense was something that came very close to happening, but I preferred to stay and train more to come back even better,” he said.

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

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