De Arrascaeta close to signing with Brazil’s Flamengo

Uruguayan midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta is close to signing with Flamengo, which reached a deal with Cruzeiro for his transfer, media reports said.

After lengthy negotiations and multiple meetings, the Brazilian clubs finally reached an agreement on the transfer of the 24-year-old attacking midfielder for 18 million euros ($20.7 million).

A percentage of the money will go to Uruguayan club Defensor, where the midfielder came up as a soccer player.

De Arrascaeta, one of the top players in the Brazilian league and a member of the Uruguayan national team that competed at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will sign a five-year contract with Flamengo that expires in December 2023, the Superesportes website reported.

The deal became controversial when the player, on the advice of his agent, refused to report for practice.

De Arrascaeta cited Cruzeiro’s refusal to negotiate his transfer to Flamengo, which offered a larger salary, for not reporting to practice.

The deal for De Arrascaeta came hours after Flamengo sealed another deal for Inter Milan forward Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa, who confirmed his move to Flamengo on a one-year loan.

Gabigol was the Brazilian league’s top scorer in 2018 with Santos.

Flamengo will not have to pay for the transfer, but the club agreed to pay the 22-year-old soccer player’s salary.

In a video released by Flamengo, Gabigol is seen wearing the jersey of his new club and saying he is now a member of Flamengo “nation.”