February 2 – Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo have signed Brazilian winger Luiz Henrique from Real Betis in Spain for a Brazilian record fee, the club said Thursday.
Financial details were not disclosed, the Carioca club reportedly paid the Spanish side a fixed fee of €16 million and a further €4 million in variable bonuses for the 23-year-old Brazilian.
In total, the deal could be worth €20 million (R$107.4 million), making it the biggest transfer fee in Brazilian football according to Botafogo.
Henrique signed a contract with Botafogo until December 2028. Fluminense sold Henrique to Betis in 2022. In Spain he endured a difficult time, scoring just four goals and providing ten assists in 64 appearances.
Brazilian media reported the forward could leave Botafogo at the end of the season or in 2025 on loan to Olympique Lyonnais, with both clubs being owned by American businessman John Textor.
In January 2023, Botafogo sold Jeffinho for €10.2 million but a year later Jeffinho returned on loan to the Brazilian club in another illustration of how Textor is using his MCO structure. RWD Molenbeek in Belgium and Crystal Palace are also part of the portfolio of the Eagle Holding Group.
Henrique has become Botafogo’s sixth reinforcement ahead of the new season. Goalkeeper John, defenders Lucas Halter and Alexander Barboza and strikers Jeffinho and Savarino previously joined the Rio club as they spent more than €45 million in a bid to rebuild after missing out on the domestic league title last season by a whisker.
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