Grêmio step up: targeting Leonel Pérez to partner Nardoni in Brazil | OneFootball

Gremio of Porto Alegre is not slowing down in the Argentine transfer market and, after securing the signing of Juan Nardoni, has set its sights on another young prospect from the Professional League. The Brazilian club has started formal negotiations with Huracán to sign Leonel Pérez, the 21-year-old midfielder they have been closely monitoring for weeks. The offer that reached Parque Patricios involves purchasing 50% of his rights for $2,500,000 free of expenses, along with a performance-based scheme that would allow them to acquire the remaining half in the future.

The talks between the club managements are very advanced, and there is optimism that the final agreement will be sealed during the upcoming week, once the round of classic matches concludes. Nevertheless, the Gaúcho side remains cautious and already has a contingency plan in place: if the deal for Pérez encounters any setbacks, their target to reinforce the midfield is Franco Ibarra, currently playing for Rosario Central.

On the strictly sporting side, Diego Martínez is closely monitoring Pérez’s physical progress, as he has yet to play any minutes in this 2026 Apertura Tournament due to persistent muscle discomfort. The youngster has shown remarkable improvement in recent days, and the coaching staff plans to push him hard this Thursday to evaluate his response. If the results are positive, the midfielder will train alongside his teammates on Friday and will be included in the squad list for the crucial match on Sunday.

In this way, the classic against San Lorenzo at the Nuevo Gasómetro takes on a special significance for the midfielder, as it could mark his last appearance wearing the “Globo” shirt. While Gremio awaits the conclusion of negotiations to add him to the squad alongside Nardoni, Huracán is preparing for what appears to be a record-breaking transfer for the club, depending on what happens after the final whistle next Sunday.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.