Erick Pulgar signs with Flamengo through 2029 after Leonardo Jardim pushed for the extension

Just when it looked like another transfer saga was brewing, with European and Middle Eastern clubs circling, Erick Pulgar put an end to the speculation. The Chilean midfielder signed a contract extension with Flamengo through the end of 2029, and in doing so became the highest paid Chilean soccer player, with a salary of around 3.6 million dollars per season. Not bad for a player who arrived in Rio de Janeiro without much fanfare.

Behind the signing is one name in particular: Leonardo Jardim. The Portuguese coach was the one who pushed the club to act and make sure it didn't let the Antofagasta native slip away. He said as much himself after the 2-0 win over Mirassol in the Brasileirao, with a candor not often heard from a coach discussing internal club matters.

I was the one who convinced the club to do it. My intention is for Pulgar to stay with us because he is an important playerLeonardo Jardim

And he didn't stop there. Jardim also explained why he considers the midfielder untouchable within his system.

He will continue with us because he is an important player within the team's structure, because of his quality, his intensity and his character. That is essentialLeonardo Jardim

It's worth looking back at the road that got him here. Pulgar arrived at Flamengo in mid-2022 from Fiorentina, in a move that didn't generate big headlines at the time but ended up being one of the club's smartest signings. Since then, the Chilean has racked up ten titles in the black and red shirt: the Copa Libertadores in 2022 and 2025, the state championships in 2024, 2025 and 2026, the Copa do Brasil in 2024, the Supercopa do Brasil in 2025, the Brasileirao in 2025, the Interamerican Cup in 2025 and the FIFA Challenger Cup in 2025. Ten trophies in just over three years say a lot about why Flamengo didn't even want to entertain the idea of letting him go. How many South American midfielders can show off a trophy case like that at a single club?

A spot earned the hard way

Beyond the numbers, what backs up this renewal is the role Pulgar now occupies in Jardim's midfield: the player who provides balance, who fights for every ball and who brings the kind of character the coach himself publicly praised. The fact that a manager comes out and admits he was the one who pushed to keep a player says a lot about how much weight the Chilean carries in the locker room.

With his new deal locked in through 2029, Pulgar extends a run that has already established him as one of the leading Chilean figures in Brazilian soccer, and Flamengo secures continuity in an area of the field that has been key to sustaining the team's competitive level in recent years, both domestically and internationally.