Keeping an eye on the rival: Fortaleza has maximum strength to face Flamengo

Flamengo has already signed full-back Emerson Royal, midfielders Saúl and Jorge Carrascal, forward Samuel Lino, and defensive midfielder Jorginho this summer. Even with these reinforcements, the board is still searching for more attacking options in the market.

After Lucas Beltrán and Mehdi Taremi 's refusals, a new target shows commitment to defend the Rio de Janeiro club: Taty Castellanos. According to information released this Sunday (10) by journalist Fabrício Lopes , from the O Dia portal and the Resenha Rubro-Negra channel, the Argentine striker remains determined to leave Lazio.

ARGENTINE WILL HAVE A NEW MEETING

Castellanos is in direct contact with the Italian board and will meet again with Claudio Lotito, president of Lazio. The goal is to reinforce his desire for a transfer and seek immediate release.

The player's interest coincides with the strategy of football director José Boto , who has been working to facilitate the negotiation for weeks. The expectation is that the situation will be resolved in the coming days , with the possibility of his arrival at the Brazilian club as early as next week.

CASTELLAN NUMBERS

The striker, who joined Lazio in July 2023, has made 86 appearances for the Italian club, scoring 20 goals and providing 13 assists, according to data from the Transfermarkt portal. This record confirms his potential to strengthen Flamengo 's attacking system and raises fans' expectations for a positive outcome in the negotiations.

Flamengo beat Mirassol 2-1 this Saturday (9), at Maracanã, in the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship. The result paved the way for the symbolic title of the first round. Historically, the leadership in this stage usually indicates the future champion , since most of the teams that finish the first half of the tournament at the top end up lifting the trophy at the end of the season.

With 40 points, Mais Querido is very close to securing provisional leadership. To confirm the symbolic title in this round, it needs to count on its direct competitors stumbling this Sunday (10).

Cruzeiro, which faces Santos, would need to overcome a six-goal difference to take the lead. Palmeiras, which has two games in hand, cannot beat Ceará. With a draw, they could reach the same 40 points, but would need to reduce their goal difference by 18 to overtake the red-and-black team.

MENGÃO STILL HAS A GAME TO GO

Besides the possibility of confirming the lead this weekend, the team also has the chance to increase its points tally this season. The postponed match against Sport, part of the 12th round, was postponed due to the team's participation in the Club World Cup.

FLAMENGO CHANGES FOCUS

Before resuming the sequence in the Brasileirão, Flamengo focuses on the Libertadores dispute. Next Wednesday (13), the team led by Filipe Luís faces Internacional at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), in the first game of the round of 16 of the continental competition.

Flamengo has officially signed midfielder Jorge Carrascal to strengthen the team for the rest of the season. Last Saturday (09), the Colombian was named in the squad for the first time, in the match against Mirassol, but remained on the bench . After the match, coach Filipe Luís commented on the new reinforcement and revealed how he intends to use him.

Filipe Luís on how he will use Carrascal at Flamengo: "He can play in four attacking positions"

"He's a player with immense talent and quality. We saw that in training this week. Today I was ready to put him in for Arrascaeta , but at that moment I felt the team needed to put more pressure on Mirassol. He hasn't yet mastered all the details of our pressing, while Bruno Henrique already has that very clear," explained the coach.

Filipe also projected a bright future for the midfielder: " I hope he'll become a club idol in the coming years . The fans will be captivated by his ball handling. I see him in the same role as Arrascaeta, but he can also play wide. He can play in four attacking positions. He'll be a very important player for us," he concluded.

NEGOTIATION AND CONTRACT

Carrascal arrived at Flamengo this transfer window, following negotiations with Dynamo Moscow. The club paid €12 million (approximately R$77 million) to complete the signing. The Colombian's contract runs until June 2029.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT CHALLENGE

With Carrascal available, Flamengo returns to the field next Wednesday (13), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), to face Internacional, at Maracanã, for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores . With Arrascaeta suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, the expectation remains for the use of the Colombian in the game.