Wendel will no longer go to Brazil. But Zenith doesn’t seem to need it anymore either.
Dmitry Zimin August 3, 2023, 16:00 Moscow time
There are not so many people who want to take a footballer with such a reputation, even on loan.
The transfer window has closed in Brazil. This means that Wendel’s summer dream is no longer feasible. Everyone understands this: the midfielder, who spent a magical vacation at home, wanted to return there. Agents and Flamengo really did a lot for this. But it all depended on the interests of Zenit – it made no sense for the Russian champion to sell at a cheaper rate than they bought it. Therefore, he is already in St. Petersburg: he goes to the Russian Museum and trains. Most likely, he did not want to.
Mario Fernández is no longer fat. look at this genius
Wendel had a very good vacation. In this way, it will be more difficult to leave Zenit. Photo
Why did the deal with Flamengo fail?
Negotiations with the Brazilian side, according to the local press, lasted for several weeks. The active phase is the last days of the transfer window. According to the journalist Vene Casagrande, the Saint Petersburg club received an offer of around 15 million euros plus a bonus. Zenit refused.
According to informant Ivan Karpov, Flamengo offered 16 million euros for 80% of the rights. Also past. Zenit, according to various sources, wanted 18 to 20 million euros, plus some bonuses. But Flamengo did not dare to raise the bet. Also until the last one there was the possibility of exchanging Wendel for one of the players: striker Pedro or defensive midfielder Victor Hugo. And it also failed. These players were deemed too valuable to be traded for the cranky Wendel.
The logic of “Zenith” is understandable. In 2020, some 20 million euros were transferred to Sporting, they say that the Portuguese were immensely happy with such a figure. Because the problems with the player already started then. Supposedly, he never became part of the team, he communicated with few people and was alone. And he constantly talked about the desire to return to Brazil. So in this sense, the player is stable.
wendel
Photo: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images
Not long ago, the general director of Zenit confirmed that, although the player is training, the club awaits proposals for him.
Alexander Medvedev
Chairman of the Board of FC Zenit
“Wendel is training. Do we want to sell it? We have goods, you have a merchant. If there is an offer that suits, then we can send it. He had personal circumstances related to the death of two close people. He was punished for being absent for a long time. He trains with the main team, but the head coach will decide if it is necessary or not.
Semak declares a similar version. Wendel works, but the desire to leave has not gone away. Therefore, the club is waiting for proposals. Although an unexpected sign appeared yesterday: Zenit included the midfielder in the RPL match request. However, this is unlikely to change anything. He now he works outside the general group in an individual program. And the head coach definitely does not plan to use it until the player himself wants to play for Zenit.
The story of Pedro, for whom it was not possible to exchange Wendel:
Will Zenit replace Wendel with a 2022 World Cup entrant? With him, Semak will return to simplified football
What are the future options: transfer/rental to Europe or Zenit-2?
Wendel’s agent, after failed negotiations to return to Brazil, stressed that his client has options in Europe. But he did not specify which ones. Naples? Medvedev denied the proposal. He doesn’t really exist. Here the situation developed, most likely, as follows: the agent offered the footballer to the champion of Italy, they began to consult there, and this was leaked to the press. There have not yet been any official contacts between the clubs.
The agent continues to promote the client to different clubs, but so far without much success. On the downside is Wendel’s well-rounded reputation, who loves his homeland too much. And he doesn’t really care about his employers. Neither fines nor loss of image stop them. The guy lives for himself and does not particularly care about the rest.
wendel
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, Championship
Now, apparently, the most likely scenario is a lease. To a European club that wants to get involved with him at least a little. Wendel himself does not care, for him there is not much difference, Russia or Italy conditionally. He just wants to go to Brazil.
And if it is not possible to agree (and the mood of the football player does not suddenly change), then you can get to Zenit-2. There have already been examples in modern history when players were brought there for re-education.
