Serie A team agrees to sign David Luiz, ex-Flamengo

Facundo Colidio's name has been circulating among Flamengo fans again this week. The Argentine striker, who was once on Flamengo's radar for a 2024 deal, took the field in the Libertadores clash between River Plate and Palmeiras, but had a low-key performance and became the target of ridicule from Brazilian fans .

FRUSTRATED NEGOTIATION IN 2024

At the time, Flamengo opened talks to sign the 25-year-old center forward, but were stymied by River Plate's high asking price and the player's own desire to remain in Buenos Aires. The Argentine club agreed to renew his contract until 2031, responding to a request from coach Marcelo Gallardo, who considered Colidio an important player in the squad.

By 2024, the striker had scored seven goals in 25 matches. Without an agreement, Flamengo reorganized its attacking plans, while Colidio remained at Monumental de Núñez . This season, he has scored nine times in 30 appearances.

RED-BLACK FANS REACT

After the match against Palmeiras, many Flamengo fans took to social media to mock the player. One wrote: "And this Colidio guy? He's incredibly stubborn about not wanting to negotiate with Flamengo ... At most, he's fighting for a spot on the bench with Cebolinha."

Another was even more acidic: " This Colidio has every appearance of a Santos player from the last decade ." A third summed it up: "This Colidio is horrible." The general tone was one of relief that the deal hadn't gone through in the past.

FLAMENGO VIA COLIDIO AS PEDRO'S SUBSTITUTE

The interest in Colidio arose at a time of internal instability at Flamengo. Pedro had lost ground to Filipe Luís, and some of the board considered negotiating him for around €15 million . In this context, Colidio emerged as an option to fill the center-forward role, a debate that sparked disagreements between CEO José Boto and president Luiz Eduardo Baptista (BAP).

Flamengo takes to the field this Thursday (18), at Maracanã, to face Estudiantes (ARG), in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. In great form under the command of Filipe Luís, Rubro-Negro is counting on the good moment to open up an advantage in the confrontation .

STUDENTS IN BAD PHASE

Their Argentine opponents arrive under pressure after a losing streak. In their last five matches, they have lost three, drawn one, and won only one, representing a 26.7% success rate . In their most recent match, Estudiantes lost 2-1 to River Plate in the Argentine Championship.

Estudiantes' last games in 2025:

• Banfield 3 x 2 Estudiantes – Argentine Championship
• Estudiantes 0 x 0 Cerro Porteño – Libertadores
• Estudiantes 1 x 0 Aldosivi – Argentine Championship
• Central Córdoba 2 x 0 Estudiantes – Argentine Championship
• Estudiantes 1 x 2 River Plate – Argentine Championship

PACKAGED MENGÃO

While Estudiantes is struggling, Flamengo is in excellent form. The team is unbeaten in nine games, with seven wins and two draws . In the Libertadores itself, they qualified convincingly, with two victories over Internacional in the round of 16.

SHORTAGES AND DOUBTS

For this Thursday's match, the only confirmed absence is Erick Pulgar, who is recovering from a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Jorginho and Alex Sandro are still doubtful: both have recovered from muscle pain but are not fully fit. The decision will be made by Filipe Luís.

TRANSMISSION

The duel between Flamengo and Estudiantes will not be shown on free-to-air TV and will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming), but fans will be kept up to date with all the details of the match on Gazeta do Urubu.

Gabigol's name has been linked to Corinthians again . The striker, who has previously been involved in controversy at Flamengo due to images in the black and white jersey, now appears as a possible reinforcement for the São Paulo club in 2026.

At Cruzeiro, Gabigol is facing a turbulent time . With Kaio Jorge in excellent form and a starter in the Raposa attack, the striker has lost his place in Leonardo Jardim's team, which has generated dissatisfaction on the player's part.

According to journalist Jorge Nicola, Corinthians is interested in signing Gabigol, but to make the deal happen, they would need to release Memphis Depay . The Dutch striker earns around R$6 million per month, while Gabigol's salary is over R$2 million.

CONTRACTUAL CHALLENGES

Another critical point is Gabigol's contract with Cruzeiro, valid until 2028. For the player to be able to transfer, Corinthians would need to negotiate financial compensation with Raposa, in addition to adjusting its payroll.

GABIGOL'S TRAJECTORY

Gabigol arrived at Cruzeiro on a free transfer after ending his stint with Flamengo. He has a four-year contract with the Minas Gerais club and has so far played 35 matches, scored 12 goals, and provided four assists.