Overview
- In early November Gabigol and his agent quietly approached Flamengo to test the club’s interest in a 2027 return without any formal offer being made.
- The player is under contract to Cruzeiro until December 2028 and on loan at Santos through December 2026, so any move would need Cruzeiro’s approval and agreement from Santos.
- Reports say Gabigol may accept a reduced salary to ease a transfer, but current estimates put his pay at roughly R$3.45 million per month and Santos now pays about R$1.25–1.5 million of that while Cruzeiro covers the rest.
- Flamengo’s president Luiz Eduardo Baptista has a cordial relationship with Gabigol and the player has spoken with former teammates Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique, factors that could smooth informal talks but do not replace a legal, financial agreement.
- If talks advance the key hurdles to watch are who will absorb salary costs, whether Cruzeiro will release him, and whether Santos will exercise any preference or reach a separate deal to keep him.