Flamengo are hoping to pay less than the €20m clause set in Andreas Pereira’s loan deal from Manchester United if they are to sign him permanently.
Pereira joined the Brazilian club on loan in the summer transfer window after it was made clear he was not a part of Manchester United’s plans.
He’s been a big hit in his home country since then, with three goals and one assist in eight league games to his name so far.
It’s earned him plenty of recognition, with fans and pundits most recently likening him to Brazilian legend Zico after a glorious free-kick scored.
If he continues as he is, it’s very likely Flamengo will activate the clause to make the move a permanent one next summer.
That’s set at €20m, but according to Globo, they are hopeful they won’t have to pay that. They explain the club want to ‘cheapen’ the deal for Pereira if they can and that the €20m price set in his current deal is not set in stone.
Their belief is that there is ‘room for negotiation’ on the price, and for now, they won’t bother talking about it.
While the €20m would only have to be paid in instalments they don’t want to do that and believe there are ‘loopholes’ for them to take advantage of to get that price down.
Indeed, they consider it a ‘security blanket’ more than anything as it can ensure his price never goes above that figure even if he is a superstar in Brazil.
While they understand the fans are anxious to see the player signed permanently from Manchester United, they are adopting a calm approach and will wait until the end of the contract to make their move.
They’re even hopeful that the exchange rates could work in their favour while other factors, including the movement of the market, could bring him to the club for a lower figure.
In other words, while they think the midfielder is great, they want to get him for as little as possible and are willing to bide their time and play the game to make that happen.