Ex-Corinthians star: I nearly joined Flamengo in 2019, here’s why | OneFootball

Flamengo ended up closing with Arrascaeta, who was at Cruzeiro

Before Flamengo hired Arrascaeta in 2019, the red-black team sought to hire midfielder Rodriguinho, ex-Corinthians, who was in Egyptian football. On Monday (18), the former player confirmed that he was approached and mentioned details of the negotiation with the Most Beloved. The former Brazilian national team player highlighted that Mengão changed direction in the middle of the contacts.

— Flamengo got in touch and it was a change of direction. They said: “If we win the election, the contract will be on the table”. I replied: “Perfect”. Days passed and nothing. Then, my agent told me that they wanted to change the deal. Flamengo would hire Arrascaeta and, instead of three years, they only offered one year on loan. I said: “I don't want it that way” — said Rodriguinho, in an interview on Monday (18) to the program ‘Na Área’.

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT?

In 2019, Flamengo began to make heavy investments in the team, which resulted in important titles, such as the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores, under the command of Jorge Jesus. Before closing with Arrascaeta, who became one of the main names of the team, the Most Beloved almost hired Rodriguinho.

Without the outcome with Flamengo, Rodriguinho continued at Pyramids (EGI). Soon after, the Brazilian midfielder returned to the country to play for Cruzeiro. However, the passage through the miners was short and, soon after, he agreed with Bahia, where he remained until 2021. Finally, the former midfielder closed with Cuiabá and retired in 2023.

AND FLAMENGO?

Arrascaeta was Flamengo's choice for Rodriguinho's place, who ended up being the Uruguayan's substitute at Cruzeiro. Thus, the foreign midfielder became one of the biggest idols of the red-black team. This is because, in addition to the titles won, the number 10 also reached the mark of 100 assists for Mengão last Sunday (17).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.