Serie A team maintains interest in Flamengo's Matheus Gonçalves

Despite the 1-0 victory over Atlético-MG, last Wednesday (06), at Maracanã, Flamengo ended up eliminated from the Copa do Brasil in the round of 16 , after a draw on aggregate and defeat on penalties. One of the red-black reinforcements in this window, Saúl Ñíguez was the target of criticism from the Spanish newspaper Diario AS .

AS on Flamengo's Saúl: "Saúl's consolidation in Brazilian football will still take time"

In an analysis published after the match, the outlet highlighted the midfielder's lackluster start in Brazil: "Saúl's arrival in Brazil wasn't the best. The Spanish player played his third match for Flamengo and was eliminated from the Copa do Brasil. In three games, he left a bitter taste in his mouth and suffered his first setback since arriving in South America."

ADAPTATION WILL TAKE TIME

The newspaper also recalled that the Spaniard's debut was in the first leg against Galo, when Flamengo was defeated in Belo Horizonte, and pointed out that adapting to Brazilian football will still be a challenge . Saúl spent almost two months on vacation before arriving in Brazil.

"Filipe Luís used him again, bringing him on in the second half. He came on eager to help, but Saúl's consolidation in Brazilian football will still take time— something that has cost him dearly in recent seasons . Still, he demonstrated his composure by converting the team's third penalty," the publication highlighted.

HOW WAS SAÚL'S PERFORMANCE?

Saúl Ñíguez started on the bench and came on 20 minutes into the second half, replacing Gonzalo Plata. Participating in a few offensive plays, the Spaniard was unable to extend the lead in regulation . He converted his penalty in the penalty shootout, but saw Flamengo lose.

WHEN IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

Now with full focus on the Brasileirão, Flamengo returns to the field this Saturday (09), at 6:30 pm, at Maracanã, against Mirassol, for the 19th round. Mengão is the leader of the championship with 37 points. The expectation is that Saúl will remain at the disposal of the technical committee.

Corinthians is close to signing Vitinho , a 31-year-old striker who is currently on the market. The São Paulo club's board has intensified negotiations in recent hours and is optimistic about the player's arrival as the first reinforcement for Dorival Júnior's squad in this transfer window.

The free agent status facilitates negotiations, as Corinthians faces serious financial constraints and lacks the resources to make purchases on the market. The deal would involve only salary and bonuses, with the amounts being spread out over the course of the contract.

LACK OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Struggling to make investments, the Parque São Jorge club seeks low-cost solutions, and Vitinho emerges as an affordable option. The player pleases the coaching staff because he possesses characteristics lacking in the current squad : speed, dribbling, and offensive depth, especially on the wings.

The fact that he is right-handed and prefers to play on the left side is also seen as a differentiator by the committee led by Dorival, who is looking for athletes with this profile to diversify the team's attacking alternatives.

VITINHO HAS BEEN WITHOUT A CLUB SINCE MAY

Without a club since May, when his contract with Al-Ettifaq of Saudi Arabia ended, Vitinho is evaluating offers to resume his career in Brazil. A product of Botafogo's youth academy, the striker has played for clubs such as Internacional , CSKA Moscow, and Flamengo , where he played between 2018 and 2022.

After missing a decisive penalty in Flamengo's elimination against Atlético-MG in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, Wallace Yan became the target of criticism on social media. However, the striker gained public support from journalist Eric Faria , who came to the young player's defense.

ERIC FARIA EXALTS WALLACE YAN

In a post on Instagram, the Globo commentator stated that the match between the two teams was evenly matched and that either side could have qualified fairly. Still, Eric dedicated the post to Wallace, emphasizing that the youngster needs to be resilient and remember that his professional soccer career is just beginning .

Eric Faria on Flamengo's Wallace Yan: "He went from total anonymity to immense national exposure"

"At the beginning of the year, if someone had said that Wallace Yan would start in a decisive match , score against Chelsea in the World Cup, and take the fifth penalty in a knockout match in the Copa do Brasil, would anyone have believed it? No," the journalist wrote.

"THE GREAT ONES MAKE MISTAKES TOO," SAYS ERIC

Eric Faria also noted that missing a penalty isn't exclusive to young players. Flamengo idols like Filipe Luís and Arrascaeta have also missed decisive penalties at crucial moments , both in opportunities where Mengão emerged victorious and in those where they were defeated.

"This young man went from total anonymity to immense national exposure. It's not simple. As for today's mistake, do you know who missed a penalty in Flamengo 's last shootout? Filipe Luís (against Corinthians). And the one before that? Arrascaeta (against Del Valle). Yeah, even the great ones make mistakes. And they kept going ," Eric added.

For the commentator, now is the time for a cool head and support within the club. Eric believes Wallace Yan has enough quality and personality to turn things around this season. The next opportunity is this Saturday (9) against Mirassol, in the 19th round of the Brasileirão.