“I didn’t want to listen” – Player almost snubbed moved to Fulham, glad he didn’t

It seems Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz went through a big dilemma before agreeing his transfer from Flamengo to Fulham last year.

Interviewed by ESPN Brasil, the Whites owned player, currently on loan at Middlesbrough, revealed that he had offers from the Middle East and was keen on accepting. But he ended up speaking to a couple of people who convinced him that the best thing would a move to Europe.

One of those who advised him was former Flamengo manager Renato Gaucho. It was before a game that the player went to his boss to talk about the transfer.

“Renato Gaucho arrived, we were in Brasilia, some things were happening at the club. I went to his room to talk about this exit,” Rodrigo Muniz told ESPN Brasil.

“He even joked with me: ‘You must be kidding. You have proposals from Europe and Dubai and you want to go to Dubai?’ I explained to him, who said: ‘Europe and Dubai? You have no choice. From Dubai you don’t go to Europe. From Europe you can go to Dubai’. They were experienced people who talked to me and helped me a lot in my choice.”

Muniz also revealed that he had a word with former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea fullback Felipe Luís, who was his teammate at Flamengo.

“A proposal came from Genk and a rival from Belgium, and I wanted to go. Because I knew that when Gabigol and Pedro were well, I wouldn’t have the same opportunities I was having. And I needed to play. A proposal arrived from Dubai to help my whole family. I didn’t want to listen to anything else, I just wanted to go there.

“Filipe Luís was a guy who had his finger on my choice. He talked directly to me: ‘Are you going to Dubai, earn money and then? You know you’re going to play in Europe’. I thought the same, because I had the dream of Europe, but my biggest dream was to help my family. If I went to Dubai, my family would be fine. Thank God things happened, I came to Europe and I’m having the opportunity to play.”

In his first season with Fulham, Rodrigo Muniz scored five goals in 28 appearances, and gave a little help as the Whites got promotion to the Premier League.

The striker, however, didn’t stay in the squad to play in the top flight this season, and was loaned out to Middlesbrough this summer. So far, he has two goals in 11 appearances for Boro, where his spell expires next year.

His contract with Fulham runs until 2026.