The transfer market began on June 1 in Argentina and River is about to complete its first reinforcement. He is an old acquaintance; In fact, his pass belongs to the club. The Millionaire made the decision to fish out Felipe Pena Biaforevery good performance in Lanusinstitution where it is on loan.
The versatile central midfielder (who with Marcelo Gallardo stood out as a defender), 23 years old, received the communication from the institution and the next step remains: contact between the leadership. But it won’t cost Núñez’s team a penny to recover it: There is a play-off clause enforceable until the last day of the transfer window.
The midfielder had been in Granate for almost a year, which had a purchase option of 1,800,000 dollars for 100% of the chip and 1,200,000 for half of it. Previously, Peña Biafore had been loaned to Arsenal. And in Lanús he accumulated 29 games, four goals and it became undisputed.
And that, precisely, was what led Enzo Francescoli and Leonardo Ponzio to move the chips to reintegrate him into the squad led by Martín Demichelis, who will find solutions in him, because it will also offer him the alternative of using him in defense. In fact, in that role he had been shining with Gallardo in 2021, when he suffered a ligament injury (it had already happened twice, in 2016 and 2017, when he was part of the Inferiores).
The youth squad will strive to gain continuity in the center of the field, a place where none of the alternatives that Demichelis has managed to become undisputed. Nicolás Fonseca and Rodrigo Villagra -reinforcements-, Rodrigo Aliendro and Matías Kranevitter passed through there.
It will not be River’s only addition on the market. The leadership headed by President Jorge Brito is working to add a defender (there is optimism regarding the chance of repatriating Germán Pezzella, a Betis man who is summoned to the Argentine team that will compete in the Copa América) and a forward (it appears in the folder Adam Bareiro, San Lorenzo forward whose exit clause amounts to 3.5 million dollars; Boca and Brazilian teams are also bidding).
Meanwhile, the team, which has just beaten Tigre 3-1 and advanced as leader of its group to the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores – in that instance it will face Talleres – is preparing for its last match before the break. Next Thursday, June 13, the Millionaire will visit Deportivo Riestra for the fifth round of the Professional League, in which he has nine points and is just one behind the leaders Racing, Talleres, Huracán and Unión.
