Back in March, we covered claims from Brazil that Brighton & Hove Albion had made contact to sign Flamengo’s Wesley França. It was also said the Premier League club plan to make an offer this summer.
At the weekend, claims from the UK stated the Seagulls have offered £20m [€23.35m] for the right-back. It was unsure whether Flamengo will accept this bid.
This is relayed by Coluna Do Fla, who then provide their own take. They state Brighton’s proposal doesn’t meet the Brazilian club’s expectations.
The Brazil international is currently with Flamengo at the Club World Cup and has a desire to make a switch to Europe after the tournament.
Flamengo sporting director José Boto has told Gazzetta dello Sport, relayed by Coluna Do Fla, the fee needed to sell the 21-year-old this summer.
“Officially, there is nothing. For now, only unofficially… But €20m isn’t a sufficient amount, as people say. It has to be at least €30m [R$ 190m]. Wesley is ready for Europe. We will see after the World Cup, but we aren’t obliged to sell him,” he said.
Fabian Hürzeler’s side have to improve their proposal slightly to at least get closer to that €30m price.
As well as the fee, Brighton also have to be wary of competition from Chelsea, who asked about Wesley after their 3-1 loss to Flamengo in the Club World Cup.
Another report from Coluna Do Fla relays comments from Flamengo president Bap over selling Wesley after the Club World Cup.
“There are many enquiries, right. But there has only been one concrete conversation so far,” he said.
“It was a conversation that had been going on for some time [not from the last transfer window] and, therefore, a relationship could evolve, it could lead to marriage, or not.
“What happens is that we have a more robust situation today, we don’t need to sell lunch to pay for dinner. We will only negotiate if it is very good for the club.”
“I think that, naturally, offers will come, but our intention isn’t to sell the player [Wesley]. The idea is not to lose deals that are good for the club and the player, in addition to bringing in other players who are good for the team. It’s a game of chess, it’s not just one move.
“It’s not just about selling a player to whoever pays me the most. Can I replace the player? When I look ahead to the year, do I have someone who can take on the role of the player I sold? There’s a whole plan involved.”
