O Botafogo completes this Saturday (31/1) one month under transfer ban. The ban imposed by Fifa regarding the debt with Atlanta United for the purchase of Thiago Almada came into effect on the last day of last year and is valid for the next three windows.
Last Thursday, after the 4-0 victory over Cruzeiro, John Textor told journalists in the mixed zone that the problem was “solved”. But Botafogo remains banned and has been looking for a definitive solution.
While John Textor does not resolve the issue, Botafogo would already have an agreement with Atlanta United to pay off the debt, updated at US$30 million (R$157.7 million at current prices) – US$21 million for the sale, US$4 million for bonuses and US$5 million as a resale clause for Atlético de Madrid.
The agreement, revealed by Rádio Tupi, is to pay Atlanta United in three installments of US$10 million, with payment guarantees for the final two installments. However, the origin of the money is what still generates debate behind the scenes.
The amount would come from a contribution of US$50 million (R$263 million), something considered internally at Botafogo as a loan with very high interest. The associative club demanded an audit of this possible contribution, which will be carried out by a specialized bank. Textor, in turn, also said that he would pay for the transfer ban out of his own pocket.
Meanwhile, Botafogo already has five players training and awaiting regularization so they can be listed by coach Martín Anselmi: defenders Ythallo and Riquelme, left-back Jhoan Hernández, midfielder Wallace Davi and striker Lucas Villalba. Riquelme and Hernández would initially be used in the under-20s, but have been training with the main squad.
