After the rumors that have been circulating since he announced that he would be leaving Flamengo, the striker will play for the Minas Gerais team
— Gabriel Barbosa (@gabigol) January 1, 2025
Gabigol is officially from Cruzeiro. The Minas Gerais club announced the signing of the 28-year-old striker, minutes after the player’s contract with Flamengo expired in 2025.
In videos published on X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, Gabigol also announced the new club. The agreement between the team and the player became known after the striker himself declared that he would leave Flamengo, shortly after winning the Copa do Brasil title.
“This was my last final. I won’t stay at Flamengo, but the affection is immense, mutual. Now is the time to make the most of these remaining matches. To be able to say goodbye to the fans and my colleagues”, he revealed at the time. The then vice-president of the club, Marcos Braz, also mentioned the Minas Gerais team as the star’s destination.
However, it could not be announced yet, as the contract with Flamengo remained in effect until the last day of 2024. Since then, Santos has been another team looking for the striker. There were also proposals from outside Brazil. The forward denied any strike in the period.
“There’s nothing (with Cruzeiro). It’s something I’ll start thinking about, talking about, starting tomorrow, looking for the best possibility for me. I found out that after the Copa do Brasil final the news arrived that I had signed with Cruzeiro. It could happen in a month, but that’s a lie. It could be Cruzeiro, it could be Santos, Corinthians, Fortaleza, Bahia…”, he said in an interview with Podpahat the end of the season.
The end of the year confirmed that Gabigol maintained the alternative he had already chosen when he announced his departure from Flamengo.
The management of the Minas Gerais club tends to give Diniz a formula similar to the one that gave Fluminense success on the pitch for a year. Dudu, 32 years old, ex Palmeiras, and the Franco-Congolese Yannick Bolasie, 35 years old, ex Criciúma, have already been announced for the attack. With much of his career built in England, where he played for Crystal Palace, Everton and Aston Villa, Bolasie is thrilled to be working with the Brazilian manager.
Furthermore, the team already boasts strong veterans, such as goalkeeper Cássio, who arrived after finishing a 12-year spell at Corinthians. At 37 years old, the idol of Parque São Jorge could be joined by another important name in Juventus history, the right back Fagner, 35 years old, who has a contract with the Sao Paulo club until 2026, but is in negotiations for a loan to the Cruzeiro team.
In addition to the most important names, the Minas Gerais management has made some bets, such as midfielder Rodriguinho, 21 years old, from América-MG and midfielder Christian, 23 years old, from Atletico-PR.
The team makes its season debut on January 19, against Tombense, in the Campeonato Mineiro.
Source: Terra
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