The story of Claudinho’s possible transfer from Zenit to Flamengo is not over, despite reports that the St. Petersburg club refused to discuss the Rio de Janeiro club’s request to transfer the midfielder. Negotiations are complex, and often the participants use various manipulations in order to obtain the greatest benefit for themselves. Sometimes silence is a sign of consent. In “Zenith”, as Sergei Semak said, they are not going to hold anyone by force, put them in a “golden cage”. However, the proposal should please not only the player, but also the leadership of the champions of Russia.
How were Claudinho’s negotiations?
Is Claudiho leaving or not? Zenit reacted unexpectedly to the transfer offer
However, Flamengo boss Marcos Braz confirmed the fact of negotiations on the transfer of Claudinho. However, according to journalist Marquinhos Assuncao, Zenit demanded 30 million euros for their midfielder, while the Rio de Janeiro club is ready to pay no more than 18 million euros, by the way, even this amount would be a record for Fla. The most expensive signing in its history to date is the purchase of Gabigol from Inter for 17.5 million euros in January 2020.
Flamengo can solve the issue with the same tool that Corinthians used in the story of the signing of Yuri Alberto. We’re talking about lowering the cost of a player by including your own players in the deal. According to Bolavip, the St. Petersburg club has decided on a candidate, whom they proposed to be part of Claudinho’s transfer. This is also a midfielder – 19-year-old Victor Hugo. The player’s agent, Lucas Mineiro, has already confirmed Zenit’s interest in his client.
Victor Hugo is not yet included in the group of the most expensive Flamengo players. Transfermarkt values the carioca and graduate in Fla at only 3 million euros, but this boy is a candidate for the Brazilian under-21 team and his career is directed by the same agency that manages Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid, according to the source. Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal and Douglas Santos of Zenit.
On a professional level, Victor Hugo has been acting for just over a year. The midfielder made his debut for the Flamengo first team in May 2022. In the new 2023 season, he played in the main tournaments (the championship and the Brazilian Cup, as well as the Copa Libertadores) 18 games, and got into the base only six times. In general, today it is difficult to call him a solid player in the starting eleven of the Rio de Janeiro team.
However, according to statistics, Victor Hugo is among the top 3 Flamengo players in terms of the number of passes under the blow (10) and successful dribbles (24). He scored two goals and gave an assist. Both goals in the Copa Libertadores – against the Argentine “Racing” and the Ecuadorian “Aucas”.
This is how Víctor Hugo scored the winning goal in the match against Racing (2:1) 10 minutes from the end of the match. Well done with the episode. With his right foot he processed smoothly, with his left he simply punched.
The rights of the video belong to CONMEBOL. The video is available on the CONMEBOL YouTube page.
And here is a goal against Aukas. The guy thwarted the counterattack and completed it. Victor Hugo’s speed qualities seem to be normal.
The rights of the video belong to CONMEBOL. The video is available on the Paramount+ Brazil YouTube page.
From the statistics it can be seen that Víctor Hugo plays well in passing and knows how to hit. In addition, he has explosive power, useful in the game without the ball, in pressing. He can act in different positions in the middle line: from defensive midfielder to attacking central midfielder.
Like many Brazilians, for example Claudinho himself, Víctor Hugo started out in futsal. Playing on a small field helped him perfect his technique, taught him to act in conditions of lack of time and space. He then joined Flamengo, and the midfielder’s current contract with the club is valid until the summer of 2027 and, according to rumors, includes a release clause of 100 million euros.
Flamengo’s coach, Jorge Sampaoli, whom we remember in particular from his work with the Argentine team at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, compares the young midfielder with the stars of the team and of the local championship: Gerson, Everton Ribeiro and Giorjian de Arrascaeta. . That is, with people who have already played in the teams of Brazil (the first two) and Uruguay.
Jorge Sampaoli
flamenco coach
“Victor Hugo is not just a hope. For me, this is a true player out of the box. This is a competitor for Gerson, from Arrascaeta and Ribeiro. From my point of view, Victor Hugo has taken a very important step in this internal competition.”
In the fall of 2022, the International Center for Sports Research included Victor Hugo among the 5 most promising Brazilian players born in 2004 and later. On this list was, for example, the future debutant of Barcelona, Vitor Roque. Is the young Flamengo talent a suitable replacement for Claudinho?
