Boca Juniors and River Plate Eyeing Uruguayan Defender Sebastián Coates as Common Reinforcement

Boca and River have signed up for a common reinforcement (Photo: Mario Sar)

Although the activity of the semester has not ended, Boca Juniors and River Plate are already thinking about assembling the squad for the next one and that is why it is not surprising that several footballers from abroad are offered. In the last few hours, the two most powerful clubs in the country were approached with the name of Sebastián Coates.

The Uruguayan central marker, captain of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, where he arrived in 2016 and despite having a contract until mid-2026, those around him are trying to “place” him in Argentine soccer. The experienced defender, who played three World Cups with the Uruguayan National Team, would have paved the way for Xeneize and it would be largely due to the role of Edinson Cavani.

Juan Román Riquelme, president and one of the greatest idols of Boca Juniors, would have entrusted the task to the Matador to convince his 33-year-old compatriot. This is not new, since at the beginning of the year when Cristian Lema was heading to become a reinforcement after executing the Lanús exit clause, Coates appeared on the list of possible reinforcements, but by mid-year, the date on which he would remain free. However, according to reports from Europe, after exceeding 40 games, the automatic renewal for two more years was confirmed.

The Uruguayan Sebastián Coates is captain and reference of Sporting Lisbon, where he has played since 2016 (REUTERS/Pedro Nunes)

“Boca Juniors wants Coates in the summer, but only as a free agent,” was the headline in the newspaper O Jogo at the time. “Riquelme uses Cavani as ‘bait’ to bring Coates to Boca Juniors,” added the other local newspaper, A Bola. Also on the Xeneize squad are the Uruguayans Miguel Merentiel and Marcelo Saracchi.

Of course, a no minor issue in the case of entering into negotiations with the leadership of the Portuguese club, which would not sit down to negotiate for less than ten million dollars, will be the quota of foreigners, which is at its limit. Although Xeneize freed up a place with the departure of Bruno Valdez to Cerro Porteño, this position could be occupied by Jan Hurtado who will return after June 30 since Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Ecuador will not make use of the purchase clause. However, the Venezuelan striker would be loaned out.

A similar issue occurs in River Plate, which has the limit of foreigners but also has in its favor that Paulo Díaz is about to have Argentine citizenship and therefore will not occupy a foreign position on the squad. So that problem would not be for the Millonario, who also has in his favor that he could be tempted to compete in the decisive stages of the Copa Libertadores and not the Copa Sudamericana, as is the case with his longtime rival.

Coates is also one of the leaders of the Uruguay National Team led by Marcelo Bielsa (REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo)

With more than 350 games in Europe, Sebastián Coates has played 40 official games so far in 2024 with Sporting Lisbon, scoring six goals (a total of 36) and giving two assists. In addition, he is summoned by the Uruguayan National Team led by Marcelo Bielsa, in which he is a key piece and will almost certainly be part of the final roster that will play in the Copa América in the United States between June 20 and 14. of July.

Coates, who also has polls from Uruguay, Brazil and the United States, debuted in Uruguay’s Nacional in 2009 at just 18 years old. After four seasons, he made the big leap to Europe to play for Liverpool in England. After a year on loan to Bolso, he played two years at Sunderland in the Premier League until his last move in 2016 to Sporting Lisbon, where he is currently.

In La Celeste, where he shared a squad with Edinson Cavani, Sebastián Coates debuted at just 20 years old and has played 51 games with two goals scored. In addition, he played in the 2014 Brazil, 2018 Russia and Qatar 2022 World Cups. The next few hours will be key and there is time because the transfer market has not yet opened. Due to its high cost, Boca will try to obtain a loan with a purchase option or acquire a part of its token in an amount 50 percent less than what the Europeans requested. Will it happen?

2024-05-02 22:57:07
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