D’Onofrio administration has the reputation of being terrible at negotiating in the transfer market. But I feel he gets a pass on this one since it’s in the middle of the pandemic and very few clubs are willing to shell out big money these days. The silver lining is that they got some cash now for a player whose contract ends next year, If I recall. At least it wasn’t for pennies like the Independiente deal with Tagliafico to Ajax. Just sucks that it’s in the middle of the copa again.
River made an inquiry with Velez regarding the transfer conditions of Lautaro Gianetti, a 26-year-old centerback who Gallardo has placed an eye on as a possible replacement for Martinez Quarta. Nothing more than a consultation at the moment, but he is being kept as an option. For now, Rojas and Diaz would be filling in MQ's spot, but considering Pinola's age (he turns 38! in a few months) it makes sense to consider another CB. The only other option in the squad is Augusto Aguirre, as during this window Franco Paredes left to Defensa y Justicia on loan and Kevin Sibille was released as a free agent. If River decides to bring Gianetti or anyone else in during this transfer window, they'd have to agree terms quickly as the Argentine transfer window closes in ten days..
Turns out Ignacio Fernandez never received the pay raise he was promised at the beginning of the year after River rejected an offer from Inter de Porto Alegre for him. Kind of understandable, given the pandemic's significant effect on the club's finances, but it appears Nacho hasn't taken it lightly and has asked his agent to seriously consider future offers from Brazil and Mexico. There is no doubt interest in the midfielder will persist: in the past, he has been linked to Internacional, Santos, and Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, while in Mexico his name has sounded in America and Cruz Azul's halls. I'm sure it won't take much to reactivate interest from them or other clubs from their countries, but the question is if a satisfying offer will arrive: with the current state of the market, it is hard to imagine someone matching even the $7M offer from Internacional that was deemed insufficient in January. The most recent formal proposal, from Atletico Mineiro in August, was worth only $3.75M and was quickly turned down. I'd imagine if an offer in the $5-6M region arrives this time around, a deal will be reached. Fernandez will be turning 31 in January, and between the player and his agent's past declarations, it has been made quite clear that he wants to make a big money move for the first time in his career soon before it's too late. Put 2 and 2 together and everything seems to indicate that the clock is ticking on his time at the club. The positive is that D'Onofrio confirmed today that the club won't release him until the Libertadores is over, so we don't have to worry about losing another player mid-competition. With Quintero, Scocco, Palacios, Maidana, Pity, Mayada, and Martinez Quarta all gone, the 2018 team slowly is starting to disappear.... hopefully we get to enjoy Nacho for a bit more.
Botafogo are interested in Bruno Zuculini. Initially, the Brazilian side is proposing a loan move with a buyout option for the 27-year-old DMF, but both sides will sit down in the coming days to discuss further details. While Gallardo doesn't want to lose any more men in the middle of a competition, Zuculini's squad status as a sub and Santi Sosa's rise in the first team are allowing for the possibility of negotiations to take place. Zuculini arrived at River in 2018 from Hellas Verona in exchange for €3.25M, signing a contract until June 2022 with a buyout clause of $19M (although clearly the club wouldn't demand that for someone his age). The CBF is currently allowing Brazilian clubs to make transfer moves until November 9th due to a special, unprecedented transfer window created in connection to the pandemic, so there would be a possibility he could leave now if the offer is tempting (a loan probably won't cut it). Flamengo also contacted River regarding Nicolas De La Cruz, although they were quickly shut down. It is worth noting that the Uruguayan still hasn't signed an extension to his contract, which expires in just 7 months, although D'Onofrio said the process of renewing the deal is underway. However, given Rodo's track record and DLC's scummy agent, we have to be careful not to lose him on a free as foreign interest in the 23-year-old increases now that he is a NT player... Lastly, Carlos Auzqui is being linked with a possible loan move to Universidad de Chile, similar to Mora's trek in 2014. The 29-year-old wanted to continue in Lanus, but el granate were unwilling to put down the $3M needed for his transfer... He was later linked to Estudiantes and a team from UAE, although neither negotiation prospered. As he trains in solitude, this late offer from Chile is tempting for both the player and the club. We'll have to see if it goes through, but the fact is River must find a way to offload him before his contract expires in June.
Carlos Auzqui joins Talleres on loan until December 2021 free of charge ¡BIENVENIDO CARLOS A LA #FAMILIAALBIAZUL!🔵⚪️🔵 pic.twitter.com/L7qaOAIZ6b— Club Atlético Talleres (@CATalleresdecba) November 2, 2020 Unfortunately this means el Perro has renewed his contract with River until June 2022 as a means of not being lost as a free agent during the deal (his contract was previously due to expire in 7 months). Kind of pointless since we all know he's going to be released for free in the end, as what happened with Lollo and Bertolo after countless unnecessary renovations, but it is what it is... La T will have two buyout clauses options throughout the loan -- the first one worth $2.2M if bought before June 2021, the second being $2.5M if activated between then and the finalization of the loan. This will be the third loan the 29-year-old is sent on since joining River from Estudiantes nearly 4 years ago, having previously joined Huracan and Lanus for 12 months.
Nicolas de la Cruz spoke on his contract, which is due to expire in 7 months, and didn't exactly leave a promising statement: "Hoy por hoy estoy 100% enfocado en River y Uruguay. Mirando para adelante, dentro de poco se termina mi contrato, hay mucha incertidumbre y no se sabe qué va a pasar. Las ligas europeas son el sueño de todo jugador. Una tentación latente. Es un sueño llegar, pero hoy trabajo para darle lo mejor a River. Me debo al club y estoy muy feliz" https://lapaginamillonaria.com/rive...nteres-del-Manchester-City-20201111-0002.html
Gonzalo Montiel has switched agents after his representative failed to attract any serious offers from Europe. His new agent (same rep as NT teammate Lucas Ocampos) is in contact with Bologna over a possible January move for the 23-year-old Argentine NT rightback, who still hasn't extended his contract that's due to the expire this season. Not quite new news, but after his debut 21-year-old Federico Gerotti expressed the authenticity of Torino's €3.75M offer for him at the beginning of the year and reaffirmed his desire to succeed in River: "Me llegó la oferta para irme, pero tuve una charla con Gallardo en el predio de Ezeiza. Estaba casi todo hecho", arrancó en declaraciones a Radiopasillo Monumental. "Me dijo que sus intensiones eran contar conmigo. Si el técnico de la Primera del club te dice eso, más siendo Gallardo y más siendo River, no lo dudé. No me importó irme afuera ni la plata, nada. A mí me importa estar acá y quería jugar en River" Jorge Moreira still isn't playing even when we're using subs (hell, even with Montiel in the NT he's still not utilized) and is likely to pack his bags in January. The Paraguayan will be turning 31 and River would be looking to cash in on him before his contract expires in June. Libertad, the club he arrived from in 2016 for $2.5M, could be an option: "Claro que volvería a Libertad, uno siempre tiene buenos recuerdos. En Libertad me tocó vivir seis años excelentes, la verdad que la pasé bien y me trataron súper bien. Me llevo el cariño de la gente, siempre me escriben. Uno siempre tiene la idea de volver y retirarme en Libertad" - Moreira, June 2020 In terms of reinforcements, some Argentine journalists are claiming Gallardo has asked D'Onofrio to make an attempt for Ramiro Funes Mori in the upcoming transfer window... The 29 year old has another season left in his contract with Villarreal (June 2022), although he is mostly used as a sub so the Spaniards may be open to negotiating a move. Just a few months ago, FM6 had opened the door to a return: Ramiro Funes Mori en @RIVERenLINEA:🗣 "Voy a volver en un buen estado. No sé cuándo"🗣 "Si River me llama para volver, se puede dar, ¿por qué no? Se tienen que dar varias cosas como las contractuales y futbolísticas" pic.twitter.com/Q8KkeN4qcr— Bolavip Argentina (@BolavipAr) March 31, 2020 Additionally, his latest Tweet from a few days ago shows him with a River jersey and tags the club's Twitter... hmmmmm....... Last week Manuel Lanzini's name was being thrown around as a possible incorporation, although along with Falcao he tends to be an humo transfer market favorite... It's worth noting that Manu currently has two and a half seasons remaining on his contract with West Ham (with an option to extend it for another two), raking in approximately $5M (!!) per season in salary. For him to return to River he'd have to sacrifice a lot to say the least, as well as somehow convince West Ham to generously let him go.... hard to imagine this happening. Lastly, Damian Musto, the 33-year-old DMF that Gallardo insisted on buying in 2017 (the deal was sealed, but a mysterious doping case forced the club to drop it last minute) may once again appear on the radar. The former Rosario Central midfielder is currently playing for Internacional (BRA), although his loan is due to expire at the end of the year. His contract with the club that owns his transfer rights (Huesca - Spain) also expires in six months, so there is a possibility River could acquire him for a low figure if the club formalizes an interest. Gallardo is said to have told Francescoli to investigate the situation, although the Brazilians do possess an option to buy him before December 31st.
Rosario Central enquired about German Lux's transfer conditions, but quickly received a negative from River: Kily Gonzalez, el técnico del Canalla, puso sus ojos en Germán Lux. Poroto, tercera opción para Marcelo Gallardo por detrás de Franco Armani y Enrique Bologna, no viene teniendo continuidad pero renovó contrato hasta diciembre del 2021 y piensa retirarse en el club que lo vio nacer. "Consultamos a River por Lux y nos dijeron que no. Está muy difícil", aseguró el vicepresidente primero Ricardo Carloni en charla con Radio Del Plata Rosario. Lux y el Kily jugaron juntos en la Selección Argentina que ganó los Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas, en 2004. Sin embargo, a pesar de ese pasado que los une, el arquero de 38 años es una pieza fundamental para el Muñeco por su valor en el grupo. Wtf, just sell him... Armani owns the spot, Beto Bologna has been on fire, and I'm sure there are plenty of promising keepers in our youth divisions that could benefit from being incorporated into the first team squad as third keeper. Somehow Lux continues being the luckiest guy in the world...
My guess is that Muñeco personally likes Lux. Probably from their early playing days? For some reason, it reminds me of Carlos Arano and Almeyda. In that Almeyda, because of personal preference, refused to see that his buddy sucked ass on the pitch. Lol
With Lux I take it it’s one of those “he’s good for the locker room” scenarios... you know how Gallardo focuses a lot on the psychological aspect, so he probably feels the humanitarian value Lux brings to the group as a whole outweighs the cost of his contract. As they say — “prepara buenos mates” But yeah, they were also teammates in River in 2006 when Lux’s brother committed suicide, so there may also be a deeper bond developed between the two than what’s at surface level.
River still hasn't received a single penny for Juan Fernando Quintero's transfer, despite Shenzhen already having two past-due payment installments of $4M. LOL... what a surprise Apparently not only are the Chinese not sending any of the agreed money, but they aren't even answering D'Onofrio's calls and e-mails... completely ghosting us to the point that River is seriously considering taking the case to the FIFA courts if there isn't a solution ASAP. Pathetic outcome for a complete crack... he could easily be playing anywhere, yet he hasn't seen a pitch since March... hell, lord knows we could use him in the copa.... We'll see what happens, but as D'Onofrio stated a few weeks ago, this whole transfer saga has served as a lesson for the club.. shame on JuanFer too for pushing such a sloppy exit, but it is what it is...
Besides CSKA Moscow's interest in Jorge Carrascal (which has existed for months now), Benfica and Olympiakos have added the Colombian as a possible transfer target and have already contacted the player's agent. It is worth noting the Colombian has 18 months remaining in his contract with River, which includes a €20M termination clause (€25M if activated within the 10 final days of the transfer window). While River may be willing to negotiate below that figure, it probably wouldn't be for much lower considering how in July they turned down a €7M offer from the Russians. Other players that could leave in the upcoming transfer window are Jorge Moreira and Lucas Pratto. The Paraguayan hasn't impressed Gallardo since returning from his loan with Portland, and while he isn't necessarily an unwanted player, Muñe would prefer to utilize the treasured foreigner spot on a more important player. Additionally, his contract expires in June, meaning this is the last chance to cash in on his transfer unless we extend his contract.. Oso, on the other hand, still holds an important spot in the team, but looking at the bigger picture is considering changing horizons so he could start for what are likely his final years of professional football (he turns 33 in June). The club wouldn't be opposed to an exit, given the salary (one of the highest in the country) being paid to a player that is a sub. River's future in the Libertadores will probably also play a role in the decision.. Ivan Rossi, who incredibly is still at the club, made it clear that he now intends to leave: "Ahora me encuentro entrenando aparte en River, no estoy con el plantel. Me gustaría irme a otro club para volver a tener continuidad, obviamente a uno le gustaría pelearla y más en un club como River, pero uno ya sabe cuándo tiene chances o no de estar y al no tener la oportunidad de entrenar con el plantel es imposible, igualmente de todo hay que tomar lo positivo", explicó. "Tengo ofertas concretas para seguir jugando acá en Argentina, pero la verdad uno apunta a futuro entonces quiero esperar a que salga algo de afuera. La verdad no tengo ninguna preferencia" As for loans, four players' deals are set to expire at the end of the year, although they'll all probably seek extensions or new loans as it is unlikely Gallardo will make space for any of them: Maxi Velazco (Cobreloa) and Augusto Batalla (O'Higgins) are set to return from Chile in January, although with Armani, Beto Bologna, and Lux (+ Centurion and Petroli) there simply is no room for more keepers. Cobreloa had expressed an interest in buying Velazco in May (he has a buyout clause of $850,000), although for now no formal offer has been presented. As for Batalla, he played regularly for O'Higgins throughout 2020 (23 games), so it is likely they will request a loan extension as he still has another 18 months left on his contract with River. Nahuel Gallardo's loan with Defensa y Justicia also ends, although I don't see why this wouldn't be extended with Casco and Angileri both proving to be superior. Lastly, Tomas Andrade's loan with Argentinos Juniors finishes, although he will not continue in La Paternal as he has only played one game all season (and as a sub, too)... He still has a contract with River until June 2022, but considering how he failed to make an impression during his loan stints with Atletico Paranaense and Argentinos it is clear he will have to find a new club once again.
Pratto is on his way to Feyernoord on loan. This is a bit of a surprise, but if I'm completely honest, El Oso hasn't been at his best for a while now, and for the kind of salary he's pulling in, the occasional decent appearance as a substitute just isn't enough. He's not even the first sub to come in at attack, having fallen behind Álvarez and Rollheiser with Girotti waiting to take his spot as "classic" 9 on the bench. If this alleviates the club's dollar crunch and gives Pratto one last shot at European glory, I think it's a win-win for club and player.
I agree that Pratto has been on the decline, but man are we absolutely terrible at negotiating... we pay $14M for him only to send him on loan free of charge to a European side?? Wtf?? They couldn’t squeeze out $500,000 or $1M out of them? If you’re going to give him away, at least negotiate to be able to keep him for an extra week so he could play one final game vs Boca this weekend (we could use him to rest the other forwards for Palmeiras). Hell, I would have worked something out to even get him to be on the bench for the Copa semis, as his precense alone shakes the shit out of Brazilian sides, and then ship him off to Holland. At the end of the day this isn’t the biggest loss in the world, but you can’t help but shake your head at how we always get the short end of the stick with D’Onofrio
I'll be honest, I suspect that there was more value in avoiding having to pay his end-of-year bonuses in dollars than trying to squeeze out a token fee that would probably have come in in installments anyway. Pratto was on a ludicrous contract that is just impossible for the club to pay given the current financial and economic situation.
Maxi Velazco will remain at Cobreloa, after the Chileans reached an agreement to buy 50% of his transfer for $200,000. (His original loan buyout clause was worth $850,000, but he didn't have a spot in River) The 25-year-old goalkeeper leaves with just one official game protecting el mas grande's goal (2017 Copa Libertadores vs. Quintero's Independiente de Medellin). River reserves 35% of a future transfer fee.
Galatasaray have announced that they won't have Falcao in their plans for 2021. Apparently he told his agent to consider offers in South America, although no one from River has reached out to him with an interest. Radamel turns 35 in February, and for this reason I see a lot of fans opposed to his return (many have the images of Saviola and Aimar in their heads), but I think he could be a good option since we don't have a 9 goleador.... IMO Suarez is more of a midfielder, while Borre is more of an accompanying second-forward (plus his contract expires in 5 months, at least for the moment). What do you guys say? I don't know if Gallardo is too interested in bringing him on board since it would somewhat opaque Girotti and Beltran, but Falcao is an icon who loves the jersey like no other... I would try to work out a 6-12 month deal with him, with the possibility of an extension based on performance.
Bring back El Tigre. Saviola and Aimar were way past their prime when they returned. Aimar having injury problems didn't help. I feel like Falcao can still contribute a lot more and not be a hinderance to Girotti or Beltran.
The thing with Falcao is he has a loooong history of severe injuries.... already when he debuted in River at an early age he was cursed with a ruptured cruciate ligament that left him out 8 months, and then while at Chelsea and Monaco he was also sidelined for months due to ACL and groin injuries.. Since joining Galatasaray a year-and-a-half ago, he has already suffered 5 different injuries. Kind of hard to imagine his fitness not going even more downhill as his age progresses. That's why I would attempt a short-term deal with an extension in order to not take much of a gamble. I would hate to see him tearing it up for another Argentine club (or even a Brazilian or Colombian side in the Libertadores) while our forwards struggle to find the net. I mean if we wasted all of those years of salary on a broken Larrondo, I think Falcao deserves a shot.
What’s this news I keep seeing that River is trying to buy Pol Fernandez from Mexico? With Racing also being interested in getting him back.
Yeah, Gallardo has been trying to sign him for years -- ever since he was in Godoy Cruz back in 2016/17.... he believes he'd fit ideally in his football philosophy and thus has been keen on signing him throughout multiple transfer windows. Racing and San Lorenzo are both trying to get him on loan, but the problem is Cruz Azul are trying to impose a similar buyout clause to the one Boca had ($4-5M), but this time making it obligatory so they don't have to scramble to find him a new destination once his loan ends. Neither club can really afford that, much less for a guy that is going to turn 30 this year. Apparently he's trying to make the River move go through... in 2018, he had declared that he would have no problem putting on la banda despite his xeneize origins, adding that "every footballer would love to be coached by Gallardo." His desire could help the transfer happen, but it's worth noting that at the end of 2020 he said he wanted to continue his career outside of the country.... Cruz Azul's president mentioned a supposed interest from an MLS side, so if that prospers it's more likely he'd head in that direction since they'd have the dollars both the player and his club are seeking. There's also the possibility that he'll just stay in Mexico, as Cruz Azul appointed a new coach a few weeks ago who may possibly be interested in counting on him.. The freshest transfer news I've heard is of 24-year-old former Platense midfielder Agustin Palavecino being offered to River. The playmaker is currently playing for Deportivo Cali, showing good performances in the Copa Sudamericana vs. Velez. He is seen as a creative option in midfield to possibly replace Nacho Fernandez, although for now he simply has been offered rather than sought (meaning Gallardo has yet to give his stamp of approval). Fun fact: the guy is Lamela's cousin. The good news about him is that his contract is set to expire at the end of the year, meaning the Colombians don't really have any weight on the negotiating table. If River seeks a loan with a buyout clause, it is likely it will be accepted if the player himself pressures for the move. Another point in River's favor is that Palavecino is managed by the same agent as Montiel. Other midfield options that Gallardo has been analyzing for quite some time now are Tomas Pochettino (Talleres), Jose Paradela (Gimnasia LP), and Gabriel Neves (Nacional Uruguay), although all three are near impossible as the club currently lacks funding for reinforcements. Loans are practically out of the picture for all three, unless some obligatory buyout clause can be included. In terms of exits, Racing wants Jorge Moreira (of course, when does la academia not want our washed-up players?), although they don't really want to pay up. He has also been linked to Paraguayan clubs (mostly his former team Libertad), yet similarly they seem to know how easy it is to play D'Onofrio. In the end, there's a possibility River may just release him as a free agent now (his contract expires in 6 months) in order to free up a foreigner slot. Augusto Batalla has returned from his loan with O'Higgins, although Gallardo has no plans for him. The idea is to loan him out once again (it would be the 5th time), but if that happens River would have to renovate his contract--which expires in June-- to not lose him as a free agent. Alternatively, he may negotiate an early contract termination like Moreira. Gonzalo Montiel remains the main first-team candidate to leave the ship soon, as Roma and Lyon are both preparing offers. The French are said to have agreed personal contract terms with cachete's agent as they try to reach an agreement with River (who awaits a formal offer worth €8-10). However, there is only one week left til the closure of the European transfer window, so if we don't see a transfer happen in the coming days River will have to accelerate to renovate Montiel's contract (expires in June). Gallardo has already begun eyeing replacement RBs: Alex Vigo, the 21-year-old Colon rightback who we previously made an offer for in December 2019, is the main target. His agent has even stated in recent days that he believes it is time for Vigo to make a career leap, but the problem is Colon does not want to let him go for less than $5M. In other words, practically all the money that would come in for Montiel after deductions (agent fees, taxes, and the player's percentage)... unless Colon softens up, it seems unlikely to go through. Lastly, Enzo Perez rejected the offer from Trabzonspor (thank god), although his future in River isn't yet fully confirmed... Benfica, Chacho Coudet's Celta de Vigo, and a few other clubs are said to be eyeing him, and the player himself confirmed after the Palmeiras game that he doesn't know where his future lies. Atletico Mineiro are also still after Nacho Fernandez, so our midfield could change drastically if either of these two end up leaving last minute.
@DaDroopDogg Pol Fernandez spoke to the press today and thanked River, San Lorenzo, and Racing for their interests, but clarified that he plans on staying in Mexico to get a new chance with Cruz Azul