Fluminense has agreed to sign striker Nicolas, 16, for its under-17 team on a loan deal running until January 2028, the club announced Tuesday at the Vale das Laranjeiras training center in Xerém, where the teenager has already begun training. The agreement confirmed by Fluminense’s official communications channel still requires registration in the Brazilian Football Confederation’s Daily Information Bulletin (BID) during the next transfer window, which opens in January, before Nicolas can appear in official matches.
The loan stands in contrast to the path of another Nova Iguaçu product at the same club: midfielder Andrey, also signed from Nova Iguaçu, arrived on loan in July 2025 and had his purchase option exercised this year, committing him to Fluminense permanently until June 2029. Where Andrey’s deal was converted into a long-term contract, Nicolas’s remains a short-term loan with a fixed end date, according to Fluminense.
A 16-Year-Old Who Already Played Above His Age
Nicolas comes to Xerém with a scoring record built partly in older age groups. In 2025, he was the top scorer of the Copa Rio Sub-15 and helped Nova Iguaçu reach the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Carioca Sub-17, scoring eight goals in 15 matches. He also netted two goals in three appearances at the Guilherme Embry Sub-16 Tournament, Diário Local reported.
The Rio de Janeiro-born forward also has youth spells at Flamengo and Botafogo before settling at Nova Iguaçu, according to both outlets covering the move.
“It’s a very special and important moment for me, for everything I’ve been through. I cried a lot when I received the news. My family was very happy too,” he said, per Fluminense. “It’s going to be an honor to defend a big club like Fluminense and I hope to score many goals here. I’ll work to be a champion, because I carry with me the dream of being an idol. I want to be remembered as a humble, hardworking player that Xerém developed.”
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Registration Waits for the January Window
Despite already training in Xerém, Nicolas cannot be formally registered with the CBF’s BID until the next transfer window opens in January, Fluminense said. That means the striker will be able to train with the squad immediately but will not be eligible for official competition until the registration is completed.
Why Fluminense Is Adding Firepower Now
The signing is timed to the under-17 side’s return to the Copa do Brasil Sub-17 knockout stage. Fluminense was the undefeated champion in 2024 — a title the club calls the “Esquadrilha 07” — and will contest the knockout phase for the first time since that campaign, having qualified as finalist of the state championship. The 2027 calendar also includes the Copa Rio and the Brasileirão, in which Fluminense is the record winning club with two titles, according to the club.
The Nova Iguaçu Pipeline
The move extends a recent pipeline from Nova Iguaçu to Fluminense’s academy. Beyond Andrey — who was called up to Brazil’s squad for the U-17 World Cup in Qatar and has won the Guilherme Embry Sub-16 Tournament in 2025 and the undefeated Taça Guanabara Sub-20 in 2026 — Nicolas is the latest young player to make the same trip from the Baixada club.
Antônio Garcia, Fluminense’s executive director of youth football, framed the partnership as part of a deliberate scouting strategy. “The Fluminense scouting department is always attentive to the market and has carried out careful work in identifying talents that fit the club’s profile,” Garcia said. “Nova Iguaçu, under president Jânio Moraes, has also stood out in developing high-potential players. Our goal is to improve the development process of the Moleques de Xerém, seeking young players who can contribute to our teams. So it’s a very positive partnership.”
What Comes Next for Nicolas
The immediate checkpoint is January, when the CBF transfer window opens and Nicolas’s registration can be completed. Until then, he trains with the under-17 group in Xerém but remains ineligible for match play. Whether the loan converts into a permanent move — as happened with Andrey — is not yet known; Fluminense has only confirmed the deal through January 2028.
