Imperial has reportedly acquired MIBR star in $200,000 swoop
Imperial has reportedly secured their replacement for Lincoln "fnx" Lau after a series of tough negotiations, Dust2 Brasil has reported. While the contact has not yet been signed by Marcelo "chelo" Cespedes, the move is understood to be finalized in short order. MIBR was initially hesitant to part ways with their IGL and star due to his importance to the team, but relented after the player reiterated his desire to join Imperial.
chelo has been a dominant force for MIBR, posting a 1.16 rating in the last six months. His performances alongside Jhonatan "JOTA" Willian made them a fearsome duo in the Americas as MIBR climbed from 56th in the world up to 20th on HLTV's world rankings.
MIBR and Imperial reportedly agreed to a $200,000 buyout for chelo, who's contract was set to expire at the end of 2022. While this is a large buyout for the Brazilian scene, it is beat out by Fluxo's reported acquisition of Sharks star Lucas "Lucaozy" Neves for €325,000. These two acquisitions are part of a broader shuffle in the Brazilian scene as teams look towards the first Brazilian Major in Rio later this year.
Should chelo sign the contract with Imperial, he will end an eighteen-month stint with the famed Brazilian organization where he helped secure a first place finish in ESL Challenger League Season 40 and helped MIBR qualify to the PGL Antwerp Major.
When the dust settles, Imperial will be:
Fernando "fer" Alvarenga Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo Ricardo "boltz" Prass Vinicius "VINI" Figueiredo Marcelo "chelo" Cespedes Lincoln "fnx" Lau (Inactive) Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu (Inactive Coach)
