Filipe Luís opens up about Flamengo's signing: "It's not worth it..."

Flamengo recently made the largest investment in its history in a single transfer window, spending almost R$300 million on the signing of four players. Two of them, Saúl and Samuel Lino, have already established themselves as starters and shone in the 8-0 rout of Vitória on Monday (25). Meanwhile, Royal and Carrascal are still going through an adaptation period, but receive frequent praise from coach Filipe Luís.

SALES AND HIRING POLICY

The club's board of directors does not intend to sell any more starters in the window that ends on September 2nd. Negotiations will only be considered for players who have lost their place. On the other hand, the club is not planning any new signings at this time . This information comes from the 'GE' portal.

In 2024, as a strategy to balance its cash flow, Flamengo let go of key players like Fabrício Bruno, Alcaraz, Wesley, and Gerson. For 2026, president Bap's order is different: the priority is to maintain the starting lineup, even in the face of European pressure .

Defenders Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira, for example, are already attracting interest from European clubs. Flamengo is initially considering releasing them, unless they pay their release clause . Furthermore, the club is considering bringing in a young, starting defender to alternate with the duo and Danilo, increasing internal competition.

RENEWALS IN FOCUS

Alongside protecting its squad, Flamengo is also moving to renew contracts. After extending Varela's contract, the club opened negotiations to extend the stay of coach Filipe Luís . The trend is toward continuity, as both parties are interested.

Another priority is Arrascaeta . The midfielder began talks in the first half of the year, but negotiations were frozen, as his contract runs until the end of 2026. The Uruguayan, however, increased his value even further by becoming the most decisive player of the season, with 16 goals and 13 assists. Rossi and Pedro, who have contracts until December 2027, have also expressed interest in renewing their contracts with the club.

Flamengo delivered a historic 8-0 thrashing of Vitória on Monday (25), in the 21st round of the Brasileirão. Among the highlights of the massacre at Maracanã, Pedro shone brightly: he scored three goals, took the game ball home and was even compared to Ronaldinho Gaúcho by the Spanish newspaper Sport.

Jornal Sport on Pedro, from Flamengo: "characteristic play of Ronaldinho's 'elastic'"

“In his third and final goal of the night, Pedro reproduced Ronaldinho's characteristic 'elastic' play inside the opponent's area and caused a stir in a Maracanã packed with more than 60 thousand people ,” the outlet published.

PEDRO ENTERS FLAMENGO'S HISTORIC TOP SCORER RANKING

With the hat trick, Pedro reached the mark of 148 goals for Flamengo and took 10th place on the list of all-time top scorers in the club's history , surpassing Zizinho (146). The number 9 now dreams of surpassing Gabigol, who has 161 goals and is ranked sixth.

HOW WERE PEDRO'S GOALS AGAINST VITÓRIA

• 1st goal (3' of the 1st half): Saúl recovered the ball, Arrascaeta passed it and Pedro finished with a chip, chipping the ball over goalkeeper Arcanjo.
• 2nd goal (47' of the 1st half): After receiving assistance from Samuel Lino, the center forward hit it firmly into the right corner to extend the lead.
• 3rd goal (14' of the 2nd half): Inside the area, Pedro controlled the ball, applied a disconcerting elastic to the marker and, face to face with Lucas Arcanjo, finished with class by chipping it, scoring a great goal.

FLAMENGO'S NEXT CHALLENGE

After the rout, Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday (31), at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, against Grêmio, for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão . Mengão remains isolated at the top of the competition with 46 points, four more than Palmeiras, second place.

The CBF announced last Saturday (23) changes to the Brazilian football calendar. The decision displeased Flamengo , which declared itself disadvantaged in relation to the other clubs. Faced with criticism, the president of the entity, Samir Xaud, spoke out to justify the change .

CBF President on Flamengo's criticism: "The favoritism is for Brazilian football"

"The favoritism is for Brazilian football. We're here representing an institution, we have to make important decisions , and we saw the possibility of adjusting our dates to conclude the Brazilian Championship this year. I've received a lot of support from other clubs and the press, and what we want is to improve and adjust the Brazilian calendar, which didn't begin under my management," said Xaud.

He added: "We're working daily. Everyone knows that the Brazilian calendar is tight, due to the FIFA and CONMEBOL deadlines, and next year we'll still have the World Cup . We needed to make a decision, and we believe it was the right one. It wasn't to benefit A or B, but rather Brazilian football."

WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE CALENDAR?

The last round of the Brasileirão , previously scheduled for December 21, was brought forward to the 7th. As a result, the semifinals and finals of the Copa do Brasil were rescheduled for December 10, 14, 17 and 21. There is also the possibility that the first game of the final four will take place on November 26.

WAS FLAMENGO HARMED?

According to Flamengo's board, the change reduces preparation time for the rest of the season. Eliminated early from the Copa do Brasil, the team would have had five weeks off to train, recover players, and adjust the squad . Now, with the new schedule, Flamengo will have only one week off.

Behind the scenes, directors also believe that the decision could favor Cruzeiro, a direct rival in the fight for the Brazilian title alongside Palmeiras and Flamengo , which will have the Libertadores dates free, unlike Mengão and the alviverde, who remain in the competition.