River Plate wants to fish in LaLiga

The leadership of River Plate has initiated formal negotiations to finalize the signing of the Argentine international midfielder Guido Rodríguez, aged 32, a player from Valencia, ahead of the upcoming winter transfer market. The millionaire team wants to build a luxury squad for the next season of the Argentine league.

According to journalist Dani Meroño Bori, the environment of the central midfielder confirmed the first contacts with the technical secretariat headed by Leonardo Ponzio, who seeks to repatriate the former River Plate youth player valued at 3.5 million euros to solve the crisis of personnel in the midfield.

The restructuring of the midfield in Núñez after the departure of Fausto Vera

The need to incorporate a defensive midfielder responds to the structural void faced by the River Plate squad in the central axis. The board of directors of Concha and Figueroa Alcorta decided not to exercise the purchase option of 4 million dollars stipulated by Atlético Mineiro for Fausto Vera, whose loan expires on December 31, sealing his return to Brazilian football.

This confirmed absence is compounded by the lack of continuity of Aníbal Moreno, who has been struggling with a lumbar discopathy that has prevented him from solidifying his place during the second half of the season. In light of this situation, Ponzio has been forced to turn to youth players Lucas Silva and Santiago Espíndola in recent matches, a situation that accelerated President Stéfano Di Carlo's directive to make immediate surgical additions for the 2027 season.

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The contractual situation in Mestalla and the relegation factor in Spain

The sporting context that Valencia is going through in LaLiga represents a favorable situation for Núñez's aspirations. The Mestalla team is currently in the relegation zone to the Second Division, a factor that opens the negotiating pathway despite Rodríguez being a starter in Javier Aguirre's lineup, accumulating 673 minutes in 8 matches this season after overcoming a right quadriceps muscle injury.

The world champion in Qatar 2022 and two-time Copa América winner with the Argentina national team (with 30 international caps) extended his contract with the Spanish club last month, in July, until June 2028, with an option to extend it to 2029 if he plays 28 official matches in his final season. Despite this temporary safeguard, the midfielder is open to the option of having a second stint at the Monumental, where he only played 18 official matches between 2014 and 2016 before being loaned to Defensa y Justicia and emigrating to international football.

Direct talks between the River Plate board and intermediaries from the Spanish club will formally take place during the first two weeks of December 2026. If Valencia agrees to set exit conditions close to its valuation of 3.5 million euros, River Plate will finalize the return of Guido Rodríguez as the undisputed axis of its midfield for the start of 2027.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, River Plate quiere pescar en LaLiga