Flamengo close in on Spartak’s Welliton

Flamengo are set to sign Spartak Moscow striker Welliton, Russian newspaper Izvestia has revealed.

The player has left club’s training camp in Dubai and flew to Rio de Janeiro to sort out personal terms with the Brazilian giants.

Spartak Moscow chiefs allowed the player to negotiate with interested clubs after he expressed his desire to return to his native country.

However, they will only allow Welliton to join Flamengo on a year-long loan, with the Brazilian club agreeing to pay his wages in full.

With Spartak requesting €7 million for an outright sale, the purchase option was not even discussed.

Welliton arrives at Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange as a replacement for Liedson, who was loaned to Porto in the January transfer window.

The 26-year-old striker has spent last five and a half years at Spartak, making 104 Russian Premier League appearances for the club and scoring 57 goals.