Botafogo have agreed the signing of Queens Park Rangers fullback Niko Hamalainen, according to claims from Brazil.
O Globo reports the Rio de Janeiro side are landing the 25-year-old on a loan deal, as the transfer is only pending his medical and the contract’s signing.
Botafogo are initially keeping the player until the summer, when they’ll be signing Wolverhampton Wanderers fullback Fernando Marçal as a free agent.
Hamalainen, who’s been a QPR player since 2014, hasn’t entered the pitch since November, when he last played in a World Cup qualifiers’ match between Finland and France.
Last summer, he was loaned by QPR to Los Angeles Galaxy, where he made 14 appearances. Now since returning to the Loftus Road side in January, he hasn’t played a single game for the club.
This is quite a random transfer for a Brazilian club, and according to O Globo, Hamalainen was ‘prospected’ by the team of John Textor, Botafogo’s new owner, plus had the approval of their new manager Luis Castro.
The fullback’s contract with QPR runs until 2024.
