Flamengo land €12m gamble amid River Plate warnings | OneFootball

Flamengo have finalized the signing of Colombian midfielder Jorge Carrascal from Dynamo Moscow, agreeing to a €12 million deal for the 27-year-old, according to Globo and Lance. The move, which marks Flamengo's first major reinforcement of the current transfer window, brings Carrascal to Rio de Janeiro with his arrival expected by the weekend.

Negotiations for Carrascal had stalled in recent weeks, largely due to a gap in valuation between Flamengo and Dynamo Moscow. While Flamengo’s initial offer came in at €10 million plus bonuses, the Russian side held out for €14 million. Both clubs found middle ground at €12 million, to be paid in instalments. Carrascal himself had already reached a personal agreement with Flamengo earlier in the process, but the delay meant he was required to report back to his Russian club after the transfer cooled.

For manager Filipe Luís and the sporting leadership, securing Carrascal was identified as a priority early in the window. Now attention shifts to strengthening other areas, with the club reportedly prioritizing the addition of a left-sided winger and a centre-forward before the window closes in September.

Carrascal’s career path has included spells at Millonarios in Colombia, Sevilla B in Spain, and Karpaty Lviv in Ukraine, but he is perhaps best known across South America for his time at River Plate. Between 2019 and 2022, he played 81 matches for the Argentine giants, scoring nine goals and recording six assists, and was part of squads that won five domestic and international trophies.

However, Lance notes that Carrascal’s tenure in Buenos Aires divided opinion. Some River Plate supporters have taken to social media cautioning Flamengo fans about the new arrival, describing him as "skilful, but very slow and misses too many passes" and "a player without spirit," despite his contributions to title-winning teams.

Last season at Dynamo Moscow, Carrascal made 35 appearances—27 as a starter—where he tallied eight goals and three assists. He first joined the Russian football scene with CSKA Moscow in 2022 before transferring to Dynamo, where he has since established himself as a regular starter.

Carrascal becomes Flamengo’s flagship signing as the mid-year window opened on July 10 and runs until September 2. Prior to this, the club’s main addition had been midfielder Jorginho from Arsenal, also brought in to reinforce the squad’s options.

With the Carrascal deal concluded, Flamengo now enters the next phase of its squad-building efforts, targeting further reinforcements to maintain competitiveness both domestically and on the continental stage.

(Sources: Globo, Lance)