This will be the next River Plate transfer market: the 6 names in the folder to replace Julián Álvarez and the other position to be reinforced

Hermeticism. That is the word that usually characterizes the pass markets. River Plate. Marcelo Gallardo and the leadership always prefer that the movements of purchases and sales be known with the operations already closed. They do not always succeed, but that is the intention of the club: absolute discretion in the handling of negotiations and that as little data as possible is leaked. What will happen in the July market? There will be movements, and both exits and incorporations.

First, River knows that it is almost a fact that July 7 will be Julián Álvarez’s last day at the club. After playing the revenge of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores (River is one step away from qualifying), the striker will go to England to join Manchester City. For his departure before the end of the year, City will pay River a clause of 1,500,000 euros (the transfer was made for 21,411,500 euros).

River’s leaders are already aware that Gallardo wants a senior striker to replace him. and the target is Valentin Castellanos, the same one that River insistently sought in the last transfer market. The New York City Football Club striker wants to put on the red stripe shirt and thus have his first experience in Argentine soccer (he only played for Universidad de Chile, Montevideo City Torque and his current club), but the truth is that his landing in Núñez will depend on the MLS team lowering its economic claims. At the beginning of the year he asked River for 18,000,000 dollars for the pass of the 23-year-old from Mendoza and such a number meant that the pass was never close to materializing.

“Our will and that of Castellanos coincide. The two parties want to meet, but the economic aspect is key. We do not plan to do crazy things, ”said one of the most important leaders of River in dialogue with Infobae.

If the possibility of Castellanos falls, the names that sound like an alternative are those of Lucas Alario (his priority is to stay in Europe), Sebastian Driussi (his family does not want to return to the country for now), Jose Lopez (Lanús asks about 10,000,000 dollars for his pass), the Uruguayan Miguel Merentiel (the man of Defense and Justice would be the most earthly option) and Nahuel Bustos (Today in Girona, from the Second of Spain, and to the liking of Gallardo since he was in Talleres de Córdoba).

Regardless of the search for a top-tier replacement to play in place of Julián Álvarez, River will make use of the repechage clause to interrupt the loan of Lucas Beltrán, who scored five goals for Colón in the current League Cup. The assignment is until December, but with the possibility of interrupting it in the middle of the year and that is what River will do. Gallardo wants to have more alternatives in the attack and Beltrán will return to compete for a position with Matías Suárez, Braian Romero and the reinforcement of the hierarchy that the “Muñeco” expects for that sector of the field.

River does not have the need to sell another footballer to balance its economy, but there are alarms around two soccer players. One is Enzo Fernández, one of the figures of the team, who is closely followed by Manchester City, Real Madrid and Benfica, among other European clubs. The intention of the Núñez club is to keep him on the squad for at least one more year, but the uncertainty rests on his continuity considering that it does not seem unreasonable that some big club in Europe could tempt him to pay the termination clause of his contract, which is 20,000,000 euros.

There is another player whose continuity is in doubt for the second half of the year: Nicholas of the Cross. The Uruguayan has a promise of sale by River before a reasonable offer in the middle of the year. De La Cruz’s contract with the institution expires in December of this year and they are moving to renew it shortly, but with the tacit agreement of an imminent sale after five years of the midfielder with the red band shirt. River has 30% of the Uruguayan pass, but would receive at least 9,000,000 euros if an operation is carried out, according to an agreement he reached with Liverpool from Uruguay. Real Sociedad and Fenerbahce are two of the European clubs that have the Uruguayan in their sights.

“We know that if Enzo Fernández and De La Cruz, or one of them, leave, it is very likely that Marcelo (Gallardo) will ask us for another reinforcement. And in that case we would be in a position to make an economic effort because the club is ordered in that sense, ”said the same leader.

Ezekiel Bullaude, a 21-year-old Godoy Cruz attacker, is another footballer to the liking of the River coach. From the Mendoza club they affirm under their breath that they would not let him go for less than 12,000,000 dollars. In that case, it seems almost impossible that he can disembark in the Monumental.

On the other hand, in the next transfer market, or at the beginning of 2023, River will go out looking for a central marker. The motives? Jonatan Maidana and Javier Pinola are in the final stretch of their careers, the directors know that Paulo Díaz and David Martínez are closely followed by several European clubs, Leandro González Pirez has not yet responded in the expected way, Emanuel Mammana is still looking for his best form and today Gallardo considers Robert Rojas, who is recovering from a fractured tibia and fibula, more of a right winger than a first central marker.

After the harsh elimination of the League Cup at the hands of Tigre in the quarterfinals, River’s sights are now set on the Libertadores. However, out of the corner of his eye he is also observing what is to come. And what will come contemplates an active pass market, with ups and downs on the horizon.

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