Fernando Henrique is set to stay at Gremio after holding talks regarding a potential £3.3 million move to Scottish Premiership giants Celtic, president Romildo Bolzan tells Globo Gremio.
We suggested a month ago that the Henrique deal may be dead in the water. And, at the risk of blowing our own trumpets, it seems we were on the money.
Despite entering negotiations in November – reports from Brazil claimed that Celtic were willing to pay in excess of £3 million for the tough-tackling defensive midfielder – the Glasgow giants turned their attention to a more familiar marketplace as the January window loomed.
Inspired by Kyogo Furuhashi’s remarkable impact at Parkhead, Celtic have reinforced Ange Postecoglou’s midfield not with 20-year-old Henrique but with two of the J-League’s finest; Yosuke Ideguchi of Gamba Osaka and Reo Hatate of Kawasaki Frontale.
And with Nir Bitton joining Antony Ralston, Greg Taylor and co in Ange Postecoglou’s renaissance crew, Henrique appeared to slip ever further down Celtic’s list of mid-season of priorities.
Where next for Fernando Henrique?
Speaking to GE, Gremio president Bolzan confirms that Henrique will be ‘in the squad’ for next season, suggesting that a player who has been compared to Real Madrid star Casemiro will have a much bigger part to play in 2022.
Henrique featured just four times – starting once – as one of the biggest clubs in Brazilian football were relegated last term, four seasons after lifting the Copa Libertadores trophy.
How the mighty have fallen indeed.
According to Globo, Brentford also reached out to Henrique’s camp to enquire about his availability. Thomas Frank’s side missed out on another Gremio starlet in Vanderson recently however and it seems that history will now repeat itself.
It is understood that the City Football Club – who count Manchester City, New York City and Girona among their array of institutions – made their interest known too, as did Middle Eastern outfit Al Ain.
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