This summer, the announcement of his arrival at Botafogo delighted OL supporters. For what ? It’s simple: by joining John Textor’s Eagle Football group, Thiago Almada (23 years old) joined the Brazilian club before signing in Europe the following winter. Thus, as reported by several corroborating sources before the American leader confirmed it himself, the Argentine prodigy will join Lyon in January. Terrific news as the talent of the former Velez Sarsfield player is undeniable. However, his debut in Brazil was not as brilliant as predicted.
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Thiago Almada’s sawtooth beginnings at Botafogo
Recruited for just under 20 million euros after several big seasons with Atlanta United and interesting Olympics, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder arrived in Rio de Janeiro after a busy summer and when the season had already started. In this context, it was difficult for him to quickly integrate into the squad of the leader of the Brazilian championship. However, after returning at half-time for his first match against Bahia, the native of the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires continued his tenure. Without really convincing, as Botafogo France told us, which covers the news of the Brazilian club every day on social networks: “It was hard at first for him. Obviously, in an ultra-competitive context of Botafogo where all the matches are finals, he had difficulty being effective straight away. He has a fairly impressive technical palette. That of a creative environment capable of forcing the decision of a match with its quality, we saw it in bursts, notably against Corinthians where he showed his best side. But again, it’s really been in bursts so far.” It was precisely during this meeting against Memphis Depay’s club that the future OL player scored his only goal in the league so far.
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In addition to his clearly improving performances, the Argentinian shows a real degree of involvement within his new club. Even if his time at Botafogo will only be fleeting, Almada has adjusted to the pressure he is surrounded by and has the love of a team that his parents cherish: “We feel him involvedexplain Botafogo France. We feel his desire to progress in terms of mentality Botafogo is an example in Brazil with a group which itself is impeccable, he only has to follow the dynamics of the locker room to become a competitor. We feel he is a very good player who asked to play at Botafogo, his parents’ favorite club, before making the big leap to Europe. » And even if he will quickly leave the Brazilian club and this passage will only have been a stopover before his visit to the Old Continent, Carioca supporters are at peace with this decision. “No hard feelings, Eagle’s plan is pretty self-explanatory for Botafogo fans and he’s a player they would never have signed without Eagle and everyone is aware of that. And then if it wasn’t OL, it was going to be another European club.»
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An incompatibility with Rayan Cherki who could question OL
Therefore, while he still has two months to go in Brazil where he will have the Copa Libertadores to win and a Brazilian championship title to secure, Thiago Almada will be keen to finish well on the other side of the Atlantic before taking the big step towards Europe and France. Requested by several European clubs when he was already in Atlanta, the Argentine metronome, recalled by Lionel Scaloni for this October gathering, had to give up for fear of failing and following legal setbacks which had prevented him from going in certain territories. However, with his arrival in Lyon in 2025, we now need to know what Almada could bring between Saône and Rhône. For Botafogo France, his special profile could allow him to succeed brilliantly: “he is a 10 capable of creating relays to his wingers, where he tends to zone out, sometimes wrongly, he has very good passing quality, he is a good dribbler. He knows how to carry the ball well, it remains a profile which is not too common in Europe, but which can be useful. We’ll see what happens in Lyon. Afterwards, I don’t have any major concerns for the future but it remains a little unclear. Why not, when we see profiles like Vitinha or Kamory Doumbia, we realize that the excuse of size is no longer too credible. »
A technical creator profile which is already present at Olympique Lyonnais with Rayan Cherki. Author of a remarkable start to the season with Les Gones scoring two goals and as many assists in five matches, the club’s child seems untouchable as he is so important in Pierre Sage’s current system. With the arrival of Thiago Almada this summer, the cards could be reshuffled and cohabitation between his two profiles seems quite unlikely. In this sense, it remains to be seen whether the Argentinian will be able to overthrow the currently established order. Coming under the leadership of John Textor, the former Velez Sarsfield could be helped by this situation which could push Pierre Sage to make him permanent. Sportingly, nothing is less certain, as Botafogo’s follower states: “With Cherki’s current form, it’s difficult to imagine him outside the eleven. I can’t imagine this scenario, they both offer different football anyway. But to say that they are complementary…Perhaps we will only have the answer on the ground. But I imagine an easier agreement with a player like Benrahma, Fofana or even Nuamah to highlight the creative qualities that Almada offers. One thing is certain: everyone can’t wait to see Thiago Almada in OL colors!
Pub. the 15/10/2024 17:59
Update 15/10/2024 23:14
