Is Rodrigo Saravia back on Unión’s radar for the upcoming league campaign? | OneFootball

Leonardo Madelón may have once again requested the arrival of the Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Saravia, due to the uncertainty about Mauricio Martínez's continuity.

The possible departure of Mauricio Martínez forced Unión to reactivate the search for a central midfielder, an absolute priority for Leonardo Madelón for the upcoming season. The club was unable to execute the purchase option for $350,000 for 50% of the transfer, so Caramelo returned to Rosario Central, where he still has one year left on his contract.

The intention of Unión is to have him back, and the player himself shares this desire, although the scenario is not simple: Martínez would need to agree to an early termination with Canalla or negotiate a renewal that allows for a new loan, something unlikely since in 12 months he would have the transfer in his possession. This uncertainty led Madelón to start evaluating immediate alternatives.

Saravia, an old acquaintance returning to the scene

Faced with the complexity of the Martínez case, the Tatengue coach once again put the name of Rodrigo Saravia, a 25-year-old Uruguayan midfielder, on the table, whom he coached during his tenure at Gimnasia de La Plata. The midfielder was already close to arriving in Santa Fe in the previous market, but ultimately chose the more enticing offer from Belgrano de Córdoba.

Saravia comes from an active semester with the Pirata: Starter in both Copa Argentina matches played by Belgrano (180 minutes), and seven matches in the Torneo Clausura (670 minutes).

His contract with the Córdoba club extends until December 2026, and his transfer belongs to the company MMR Sports Group. Trained at Racing de Montevideo, he debuted in 2021. He then moved to Peñarol in 2022 and that same year arrived at Gimnasia, where Madelón used him as a key piece in the midfield. In the 2024/2025 season, he moved to Russian football to play for FK Rostov, before joining Belgrano.

A negotiation that could gain speed

At Unión, they value his dynamism, tactical reading, and ability to cover large areas of the field, virtues that Madelón knows firsthand. Additionally, they understand that the operation for Saravia could be more viable than that of Martínez if Belgrano agrees to discuss a loan or a partial sale of the transfer.

Meanwhile, the Tatengue management continues to monitor the market with the idea of adding a recovering midfielder who becomes a team reference. The coach considered it an absolute priority, and that's why the name Rodrigo Saravia is gaining strength again on Avenida.

Unión has already made the first moves: now it remains to be seen what negotiation margin Belgrano allows... and if the Mauricio Martínez saga has a new chapter.

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