Fiorentina striker Beltran targeted by River Plate for Club World Cup | OneFootball

Fiorentina are expected to part company with striker Lucas Beltran this summer, amid reports he could return to River Plate for the 2025 Club World Cup.

The Viola look set to miss out on European qualification after losing the Conference League semi-final to Real Betis and sliding down the Serie A standings.

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 26: Yacine Adli of Fiorentina celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on January 26, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

This will mean a revamp of the squad and one of the first to go could be Beltran, who fell down the pecking order following the arrival of Albert Gudmundsson from Genoa.

Beltran is a versatile figure, able to play as a centre-forward, a support striker, or a trequartista, which makes his work ethic more valuable than the finishing.

River Plate want Beltran return

epa11687970 Fiorentina’s foward Lucas Beltran celebrates after scoring a goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match ACF Fiorentina vs AS Roma at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, 27 October 2024. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

According to Tuttomercatoweb and FirenzeViola, the 24-year-old is being offered a return to his origins in Argentina with River Plate.

He was sold to Fiorentina in 2023 for €12.6m plus bonuses, which reportedly reached a grand total of €18m, considerably lower than the potential high figure of €24m.

Now River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo wants to relaunch him at his former club in time to participate in the Club World Cup.

It could even be sped up by making this a loan move with option to buy.