HIT THE HAMMER! FLAMENGO BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHOOSES STRATEGY FOR END OF YEAR TRANSFER WINDOW

Carlos Alcaraz, Argentine midfielder from Flamengo, was once again available to Tite after serving a suspension in the last game against Vasco, valid for the Brazilian Championship. Now, he is preparing for the decisive Libertadores clash against Peñarol (URU), where he should be one of the fundamental pieces of the red and black squad.

Since August 30th, when he started training at Ninho do Urubu, Alcaraz has been attracting attention for its performance. His first match for Mengão took place on September 1st, in a game against Corinthians, when the midfielder came on in the second half and had a performance that pleased both the coaching staff and the fans.

ADAPTATION PERIOD

After a period of 17 days of training, Alcaraz is fully adapted to the team's style of play. This time was essential for coach Tite to better understand the player's qualities and potential on the field, preparing him for future important challenges with Mais Querido.

MILLIONAIRE HIRING

Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Flamengoin a negotiation that involved 17.6 million euros (approximately R$108 million), with Flamengo acquiring 80% of its economic rights from Southampton, from England. The midfielder, who is just 21 years old, signed a five-year contract with the Rio club, valid until August 2029.

Experienced coach Joel Santana commented, on his YouTube channel, about Gabigol's situation at Flamengo under Tite's command. Joel believes that Gabi is hurt by his current position in the team, where he is the third reserve in attack, behind even Carlinhos, who was hired at the beginning of the season from modest Nova Iguaçu.

Joel suggested that Tite and Gabigol should have a conversation to resolve possible differences and improve the situation: “Do you think the guy is happy? Our beloved center forward, who gave so much glory, is sad, he is hurt. He sits the two of them down: ‘Let’s just have a chat between the two of us’. There you and Gabi are left. Sit down and talk”, said the 'King of Rio', as he became known for having been champion in the city's four biggest clubs.

Joel Santana is an important figure in Flamengo's history, being the seventh coach with the most games for the club. He had several notable spells, with titles such as the 1986 Carioca Championship, the Conmebol Gold Cup and the 2008 State Championship. In his 200 games in charge, Joel achieved 114 wins, 45 draws and 40 defeats.

Tite's termination fine at Flamengo

If Flamengo decides to terminate Tite's contract, the club would have to pay the amount related to his salary until the end of his contract, which runs until December 2024. With Tite receiving around R$1.8 million per month, the fine would total R$7.2 million. The information was released by the RTI Esporte portal.

However, so far, everything indicates that Tite will remain in charge of Flamengo until the end of the contract.

Gabigol continues to be an important figure behind the scenes at Flamengo, despite not being on good terms with coach Tite. With 26 matches in the 2024 season, only three as a starter, and four goals scored, the number 99 has only three months left on his contract with the club, which already allows him to sign a pre-contract with another team.

In June, the player received an offer to renew his contract for another year, but he refused. Flamengo's president, Rodolfo Landim, revealed that the offer is still available, highlighting that confidence in Gabigol's recovery is the reason behind this proposal. “When we make a proposal, we analyze the entire context. We believe in Gabriel’s potential and that’s why we offered him a renewal for another year”, explained Landim in an interview with TNT Sports, stating that he still maintains the offer to the player. 

The attacker's situation is delicate. With less than six months left on his contract, Gabigol is free to negotiate with other clubs. However, Flamengo showed interest in keeping him, as they have done with other important players in the past, such as Filipe Luís and Bruno Henrique.

According to Landim, the club is not willing to offer a long contract in the past. current performance conditions of the player. “With the performance of 2023 and part of 2024, it is difficult to make a four-year proposal at the requested values”, stated the president, reinforcing that the one-year renewal proposal remains available and that it now depends on the player’s own decision.< /p>

The president also addressed the reasons why Gabigol has not been a choice frequent in the starting lineup. According to Landim, the word "bet" used to describe the renewal proposal may have been strong, but it is justified by the attacker's performance in training. Coach Tite, known for his meritocracy, has opted for Bruno Henrique and Carlinhos due to their better performance in activities and games.

“Tite is a meritocrat par excellence. He chooses who is best in training and games to choose. This transparent process is one of the reasons why he is so respected by the team", concluded Landim.