Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In a surprising turn of events, Flamengo star striker Pedro has turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. The Brazilian striker, who has been playing brilliant soccer for Flamengo, turned down the offer citing a lack of confidence in the Arab club’s sporting project, which is currently led by former Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus.
The initial offer presented to Pedro and his representatives by Al Hilal included salaries six times higher than his current earnings. However, Pedro’s commitment to his current team and his aspirations to play in Europe and represent the Brazilian national team forced him to reject the lucrative offer.
Flamengo’s soccer department was promptly informed of Al Hilal’s approach, but the club’s board remains determined to sell Pedro only if an exceptionally advantageous offer from Europe materializes. Pedro, considered one of the most promising talents in Brazilian soccer, is eager to move to European soccer, which is widely considered to be a higher level of competition.
The rejection of Al Hilal’s offer was also motivated by Pedro’s concern about jeopardizing his chances of future call-ups to the Brazilian national team. Having been called up for the last two FIFA dates and being part of coach Tite’s final squad for the 2022 World Cup, Pedro wants to continue to impress and secure his place on the international stage.
Flamengo recently extended Pedro’s contract until December 2027, further reinforcing their determination to keep hold of the prolific striker. With a termination clause already set at an incredible 60 million euros (over R$300 million), the club is determined to keep hold of its top scorer, who has scored an impressive 25 goals in just 33 appearances in 2023.
Pedro’s loyalty and dedication to Flamengo have been duly recognized, and he is expected to feature prominently in the team’s next game against Athletico Paranaense on Wednesday. As the transfer window continues, the soccer world will be watching anxiously to see if any European clubs can meet Flamengo’s demanding criteria for a possible transfer of Pedro.