Flamengo's De La Cruz needs knee surgery - says journalist

After a low-key stint in Europe, Reinier, a product of Ninho do Urubu, is back in Brazil. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the attacking midfielder has already said goodbye to Real Madrid and has reached an agreement with Atlético-MG . The player is expected in Belo Horizonte in the coming days, where he will undergo medical examinations and sign a contract . The contract will be for four and a half years, the newspaper revealed.

NEGOTIATIONS WITH GALO HAVE DRAGGED ON SINCE JUNE

Talks between Reinier and Atlético-MG began in June, when the Minas Gerais club launched an inquiry and received a positive response from the player. The initial proposal, a loan with an option to buy, was met with Real Madrid's demand for financial compensation.

As the window progressed, negotiations resumed and culminated in a definitive agreement. In recent weeks, the player had been training with Real Madrid's B team , but according to Marca, he was no longer part of the club's plans.

REINIER WAS CONSIDERED BY FLAMENGO

Before signing with Atlético-MG— Flamengo 's opponent in the Copa do Brasil round of 16—Reinier was speculated as a potential reinforcement for the Rubro-Negro. According to journalist Mauro Cezar Pereira, the Rio de Janeiro club made an inquiry but backed off due to the high costs of the deal.

The decision not to move forward involved not only the contract value, but also the high commissions demanded by the player's representatives— deemed incompatible with the player's current situation . As a result, Flamengo turned its attention to Lucas Beltrán, from Fiorentina.

A PROMISE THAT WAS NOT KEPT IN EUROPE

Reinier arrived at Real Madrid in 2020, surrounded by high expectations, but failed to establish himself at the Spanish club. Unlike Vini Jr., also formerly of Flamengo, and Rodrygo, the midfielder never even played a match at the Santiago Bernabéu .

Over the past five years, he has spent time on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Granada, and, most recently, Frosinone in Italy— where he enjoyed his best spell since leaving Brazil . In total, he has played 105 matches, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.

Flamengo has been one of the protagonists of the current transfer window , with major reinforcements arriving to strengthen the squad. However, the intense movement could result in a restructuring of the group and the departure of some players. According to journalist Renato Maurício Prado, Everton Cebolinha and Michael are among the players the club is considering negotiating .

On his YouTube channel, Renato revealed a conversation with a source linked to the red-black board, who confirmed the intention to reduce the squad , now inflated by the return of injured athletes and new signings.

Renato Maurício Prado on negotiating Cebolinha and Michael: "Flamengo wants to do this"

"Players who were injured are returning. Flamengo will be left with two and a half teams. That's a lot of people to manage. I told the source that the club may part with players like Michael and Cebolinha ."

MARKET DOESN'T SMILE ON THE DUO

According to Renato, the board's desire is to find new destinations for both forwards, but the task has been difficult: "The source told me: ' Flamengo wants to do this, but it's not easy because there are no concrete offers .' Since they have already played in more than seven Brasileirão games, they cannot play for another club in the competition this year. Therefore, the exit would have to be abroad."

FLAMENGO INVESTS HEAVILY IN THE MARKET

After losing Gerson and Wesley, Rubro-Negro acted quickly and brought in four reinforcements : Samuel Lino, Saúl Ñíguez, Emerson Royal and announced on Saturday (2) the arrival of Carrascal. In addition to them, Jorginho was hired with a focus on the Club World Cup.

With a strengthened squad, Flamengo is preparing for the most decisive stretch of the season. Leading the Brazilian Championship, the club faces two knockout challenges: overturning its deficit against Atlético-MG in the Copa do Brasil and facing Internacional in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.

Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (3) to face Ceará, for the 18th round of the Brazilian Championship, at Arena Castelão. For the duel, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) defined the refereeing team, with Rodrigo Jose Pereira de Lima, from Pernambuco, chosen as the main referee . Alongside him will be Neuza Ines Back (SP) and Francisco Chaves Bezerra Junior (PE) as assistants. The command of the VAR will be the responsibility of Ilbert Estevam da Silva (SP).

FULL ARBITRATION SCALE

• Main referee: Rodrigo Jose Pereira de Lima (PE)
• Assistant 1: Neuza Ines Back (SP)
• Assistant 2: Francisco Chaves Bezerra Junior (PE)
• Fourth referee: Tarcísio Flores da Silva (PE)
• VAR: Ilbert Estevam da Silva (SP)

REFEREE'S FIRST MATCH WITH FLAMENGO IN 2025

This will be Flamengo 's first match in 2025 refereed by Rodrigo Jose Pereira de Lima . Despite this, the referee has already officiated previous matches for the Rubro-Negro, such as the 0-0 draw with Palmeiras at Allianz Parque in the 2024 Brasileirão.

TEAMS' SITUATION IN THE TABLE

Flamengo enters this round as the leader of the Brasileirão, with 36 points, two more than second-placed Cruzeiro, but with a game in hand . Ceará, meanwhile, sits in tenth place with 21 points. Mengão relies on its strong away record to emerge victorious.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT COMMITMENT

The match against Ceará takes place at 6:30 pm (Brasília time) at Arena Castelão, marking another step for the Red-Blacks in their fight to maintain their position at the top of the table. The match will be broadcast on Record (free-to-air TV), Cazé TV (YouTube), and Premiere (pay-per-view) .