Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim has denied rumors that his club is preparing a move for Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
Landim spoke to the media about his club’s Copa Libertadores win, in which he was pressed about the possibility of bringing Ronaldo to Rio de Janeiro.
Landim laughed at this and didn’t mince words about the 37-year-old.
He said on Ronaldo’s links: “I don’t know where it came from, but they have a lot of creativity.
“First of all, I ask: for whom? It’s for the bank. Being the substitute for Pedro or Gabigol [Gabriel Barbosa]? I do not can. No one here is going to do crazy things.”
While the president of Flamengo made fun of Ronaldo, they also asked him about the possibility of signing Neymar, to whom he was much more respectful.
“Having Neymar would be a dream for any club in Brazil, I have no doubts. I think he will play outside of Brazil for some time simply because he is exceptional.”
Like Ronaldo, Landim said the main reason his club would not pursue Neymar is the fact that luring him to Brazil would cost a luscious sum.
Describing the numbers for the two stars, Landim said Ronaldo would demand a two-year grand total of $242 million or the equivalent of $10 million per month.
He said he had information that a Neymar transfer operation would require €4m a month, a figure that far exceeded the Brazilian club’s modest budget.
He added that it is much more likely that Neymar will receive a better offer outside of Brazil even though he stated that it would be a dream to sign him.
The Flamengo boss becomes the latest club leader to publicly reject Ronaldo.
Still, it’s unlikely the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would have liked to move to Brazil. Hopefully, he finds a taker in January.
