Author: Vishwajit Sawant
Flamengo gave the green light for the sale of Marinho to Fortaleza after accepting the proposal presented by the club. While the deal awaits the finalization of bureaucratic details, both parties are aligned, and the two-year deal between the player and the Ceará club should be officially sealed later this week.
The proposal from Fortaleza was well received by Flamengo and Marinho’s team, which gives confidence that the striker will wear the Fortaleza shirt in the second half of the season. Although the player has not yet officially signed the contract, there is a strong belief that the transfer will go through. The operation will see Flamengo receive 400,000 dollars (R$2 million) as part of the deal.
Fortaleza’s offer was the first to satisfy all parties involved in the negotiation. Previously, Marinho had received offers from Bahia at the start of the season and São Paulo at the end of the month, but salary issues proved to be an obstacle to progress in the discussions. In both cases, the player would have to accept a reduction in his salary, which led him to opt to remain at Flamengo.
Fortaleza have presented Marinho with a two-year contract, offering a salary in line with what he currently earns at Flamengo. With the inclusion of additional incentives, the striker will be able to earn more than he currently does at the Rio de Janeiro club. It’s worth noting that Fortaleza made the offer when they were in need of a speedy striker following the departure of Moisés, who was sold to Cruz Azul in Mexico.
Flamengo offered no resistance to prevent Fortaleza and Marinho from negotiating, partly due to off-field problems involving the striker. In May, before the match against Ñublense, Marinho refused to travel to Chile, which led to a disagreement with Jorge Sampaoli’s coaching staff. As a result, he has been training separately from the rest of the squad ever since, causing frustration among his representatives. Last week, his legal team asked Flamengo to reinstate him in the squad, threatening legal action if the request wasn’t met. Marinho returned to training with the rest of the team on Wednesday.
During his time at Flamengo, Marinho made 60 appearances, scoring six goals and providing nine assists. The striker joined the club at the beginning of last year and was part of the team that won the Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.