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Flamengo continues to monitor the situation of Lazio (ITA) striker Taty Castellanos . After failing to make progress in negotiations for Mehdi Taremi and Lucas Beltrán, the club is once again targeting the Argentine, despite facing resistance from the Italian club. According to Corriere dello Sport, Flamengo "would be ready" to present a new offer for Castellanos . The first attempt was made in July, but was promptly rejected by Lazio, which maintains its stance of not negotiating with him.

TRANSFER BAN MAKES BUSINESS DIFFICULT

The impasse is directly linked to the punishment suffered by Lazio , which received a transfer ban for failing to comply with Italian football's financial requirements . As a result, the club is prohibited from registering new players until September, which prevents replacements in the event of departures.

Castellanos, who played 40 games last season and 46 the previous season, is considered an important player in the squad. That's why president Claudio Lotito promised coach Maurizio Sarri that there would be no more losses in the squad , a promise reinforced by sporting director Angelo Fabiani: " I shook the coach's hand twice ," he told the Italian newspaper.

PLAYER ATTITUDE

According to the publication, Lazio evaluated Castellanos' behavior during a trip to England for a friendly against Burnley. The striker came on for the final 30 minutes, maintained a calm demeanor, and expressed no desire to leave the club , which strengthened the board's confidence in his continued presence.

SEARCH FOR A CENTER FORWARD DIFFERENT FROM PEDRO

Flamengo is looking for a center forward with different characteristics than Pedro in the market. The goal is to find a more mobile player capable of offering new attacking options. Therefore, names like Taremi, Beltrán, and Castellanos have been on the radar—without success so far.

While working behind the scenes, Rubro-Negro is preparing to face Internacional this Wednesday (13) , at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), for the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores. The return leg is scheduled for next week.

Cruzeiro remains interested in signing Matheus Gonçalves and believes it can close the deal. The deal was practically finalized but was canceled at the last minute—the player even learned of the move on the sidelines after a youth team match.

Now, the Minas Gerais club is back in the hunt to convince Flamengo to release the young attacking midfielder. According to Goal, Cruzeiro's vice president of football, Pedro Junio, is in contact with the player's staff , seeking a solution that will please all parties.

FLAMENGO DOES NOT INTEND TO NEGOTIATE

Currently, Cruzeiro is resisting the idea of selling the player directly to a competitor in the Brasileirão, a position supported by part of the board. Meanwhile, CSKA Moscow of Russia has also expressed interest but has not yet formalized an official offer. Matheus Gonçalves, however, wants to play for Cruzeiro , believing that at the Minas Gerais club he will get more minutes on the field and a chance to compete for a starting spot.

THE CRUISE PROPOSAL

Cruzeiro's initial offer was €3.5 million (approximately R$22 million) for 50% of the player's economic rights . Flamengo would retain half of his transfer rights, aiming for a profit in any future negotiations. The impasse occurred in July, when the deal was finally finalized and Matheus Gonçalves was very close to leaving Ninho do Urubu.

FOCUS ON THE LIBERTADORES

While Matheus Gonçalves waits to know his future, Flamengo prepares for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 against Internacional at Maracanã. The match is this Wednesday (13) at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) and will be broadcast on Rede Globo, ESPN and Disney+.

Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (13) to face Internacional in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. The ball rolls at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, with broadcast on Globo on open TV . The match will also be shown on ESPN, on subscription TV, and on Disney+, via streaming.

PROBABLE LINEUP

Coach Filipe Luís is expected to field Luiz Araújo in place of Arrascaeta , who is suspended due to a backlog of yellow cards. Thus, the likely lineup for the red-and-blacks is: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Allan; Luiz Araújo, Plata, Samuel Lino, and Pedro.

The main news is Jorginho's return to the starting lineup after serving a suspension in the Brasileirão victory over Mirassol. The number 10 will be a significant absence, sitting out the decisive stage of the continental tournament. Expectations are high for a possible debut for Jorge Carrascal, who didn't leave the bench against Leão.

FLAMENGO SITUATION

Flamengo and Internacional enter the field looking to open up an advantage for the return match, which will take place next Wednesday (20), at Beira-Rio. Rubro-Negro arrives buoyed by the leadership of the Brasileirão, even with a game less , after defeating Mirassol 2-1 last weekend - a result that helped to recover the spirit of the squad after the early elimination in the Copa do Brasil against Atlético-MG.

AND INTER?

Internacional also won in the last Brasileirão match before facing Mengão , when they beat Red Bull Bragantino 3-1 away from home, and interrupted a sequence of four consecutive games without a win, where they were even eliminated from the Copa do Brasil by Fluminense.