Filipe Luís gives Flamengo's squad a rest after their rout of Vitória

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 invested 22 million euros (approximately R$ 143 million), plus bonuses for targets, to sign Samuel Lino. For coach Filipe Luís , the amount paid does not reflect the real importance of the player , who shone in the 8-0 rout over Vitória , on Monday (25), in the 21st round of the Brasileirão.

Filipe Luís on Samuel Lin at Flamengo: "He's not worth what we paid for him, he's worth double or triple"

"Regarding Lino, I don't think he's worth what we paid for him; he's worth double or triple. He's a fantastic player. And if you look at the market prices for key wingers, you'll see they're on a different level . Having a player of this caliber, who was at Atlético Madrid, was a starter at the World Cup, and chose to come to Flamengo ," the coach emphasized.

Filipe Luís also emphasized Samuel Lino 's importance to the squad: " It's a huge privilege to have him here . The goals don't matter—of course, they do for him—but we know what he can offer, and he's very important to the team. He even raises the bar for Cebolinha and Michael, who are competing with him for a position."

SAMUEL LINO'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GOALS AGAINST VITÓRIA

Samuel Lino was decisive in the match:

• 1st goal: scored Flamengo's first goal early in the match.
• 3rd goal: assisted Arrascaeta before half-time.
• 4th goal: he started the final stage leaving Pedro in a good position to score.
• 5th goal: scored again, after a cross from Varela.
• 6th goal: provided another assist for Pedro to complete his direct participation in goals.

FLAMENGO'S SITUATION IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

With the victory, Rubro-Negro reached 46 points, maintaining a four-point advantage over second-place Palmeiras . Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday (31), at 4 pm, at Maracanã, against Grêmio, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship.

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.