BOTAFOGO BEATS PALMEIRAS, ISOLATES ITSELF IN THE LEADERSHIP AND CALLS FLAMENGO ALERTA; SEE THE UPDATED BRASILEIRÃO TABLE

The last transfer window for Brazilian football in 2025 opens this week (from July 10 to September 2), and Flamengo is moving to sign reinforcements . After signing Irish striker Mikey Johnston, the club is also trying to sign Carrascal. But Dynamo Moscow is playing hardball.

BETWEEN FLAMENGO AND ATHLETE, EVERYTHING IS OK

Flamengo has an agreement with the Colombian midfielder and tried to close the deal before the FIFA Club World Cup, but the board considered that the Russian club wanted to take advantage of the world championship to sell the player for more. Therefore, they treated the deal with caution.

Carrascal reported to the Colombian national team for the games against Peru and Argentina in June's FIFA World Cup and then went on vacation to await the outcome of the negotiations. Flamengo expected to finalize the purchase by last week, so that the midfielder would not even have to return to Russia. However, they have not yet reached an agreement with Dynamo.

VALUES

Flamengo's offer was around 12 million euros (R$76.4 million) in installments, but the Russian club wanted 15 million euros (R$95.5 million) and also required bank guarantees. Carrascal did not reappear with the Dynamo squad and was left out of the first friendlies, which angered the Russian board.

Given the impasse, the midfielder returned to Russia in recent days and was named in the squad for Friday's friendly against Partizan. Carrascal started on the bench and came on in the second half of the 3-1 victory. Dynamo have another friendly scheduled for Tuesday against Akhmat, while the Russian Championship starts on the 20th.

In addition to the impasse over Carrascal, Dynamo also has long-standing dissatisfaction with Flamengo over the loss of Varela. The right-back arrived on loan in 2022 after triggering the "war clause", which allowed players to suspend their contracts with Russian and Ukrainian clubs due to the conflict between the countries.

As the Uruguayan's contract in Russia was coming to an end, the Rubro-Negro team later signed the full-back permanently without having to pay for the transfer. Behind the scenes, Fla argues that the board is no longer the same.

Flamengo continues to monitor the market in search of reinforcements for the second half of the 2025 season. After Gerson's departure, the Rio de Janeiro club is focusing its efforts on signing Jorge Carrascal, Colombian midfielder from Dynamo Moscow (RUS). According to information gathered by Coluna do Fla, the name of Esequiel Barco, from Spartak Moscow, appears only as an alternative to the main negotiation.

According to sources close to the board, the Argentine Barco will only be the target of an attempt by Mengão if the agreement with Carrascal does not materialize . The internal assessment is that signing both athletes simultaneously is out of the question at this time, both for financial and strategic reasons.

NEGOTIATION BY CARRASCAL

Negotiations with Dynamo Moscow are hampered by demands from the Russian club, which wants bank guarantees for the payment of the transfer in installments. The amount requested is 12 million euros, equivalent to approximately R$76 million, divided into three installments.

A possible move for Barco, if necessary, would represent an even greater expense for the club's coffers, since the Argentine has a higher salary and his transfer fee is considered more expensive in the European market. The information was initially released by journalist Venê Casagrande.

FLAMENGO RECEIVES SAO PAULO

While defining the next steps in the transfer market, the red-black squad is preparing for its next challenge on the field. Flamengo faces São Paulo this Saturday (12), at 4:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the 13th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be broadcast live on Rede Globo.

Michael Johnston has signed with Flamengo and should be officially announced in the next few days. The 25-year-old Irish winger is expected to be distrusted by some fans due to his modest performances in the English second division. However, a tactical analysis shows that the player can offer important resources to Filipe Luís' team, especially in creating spaces that have been scarce in the recent performances of the current wingers in the red-black squad.

FLAMENGO TAKES A NEW DIRECTION IN NEGOTIATIONS

Michael Johnston's arrival at Flamengo is considered a certainty. The player is scheduled to arrive in Rio de Janeiro next week, when he will undergo tests and sign a contract. The negotiation was conducted discreetly and developed quickly, responding to a request from the coaching staff for more options in the offensive sector.

A PLAYER WHO CAN BE A RELIEF

Despite the signing being finalised, some fans received the news with distrust. The player's recent numbers at Cardiff City in the Championship, the English second division, are not encouraging: just 3 goals and 2 assists in 27 matches last season.

What has been gaining traction internally, however, is the understanding that Johnston's contribution goes beyond the numbers. In fact, the Irishman's statistical performance is not much different from what Gerson had been presenting as a right winger.

Johnston has a refined reading of the game, can identify where the advantages of the field lie and works to create situations that favor the attack. “A striker has to have numbers, but when we look at Johnston's context, both in what he has experienced and what he will encounter, we can understand that he can perform better”, explains analyst Raphael, on his YouTube channel.