How talks are progressing for Boca’s transfer targets | OneFootball

With Hinestroza set to become the first signing of the transfer window, Riquelme is now looking to unlock other negotiations to continue strengthening the Xeneize squad with the 2026 Copa Libertadores in mind. Dybala, the big dream.

With the signing of Marino Hinestroza practically secured—who said goodbye to Atlético Nacional after winning the Copa Colombia to arrive at La Bombonera—there are still several open negotiation fronts at Boca that Juan Román Riquelme will try to resolve to keep adding reinforcements.

The first confirmed signing is the Colombian, the big dream is Paulo Dybala, and there are other strong names, like Miguel Borja—after becoming a free agent from River—who are also on the Xeneize board’s radar. How are the talks progressing?

Paulo Dybala

“Hopefully we can make the effort. It’s a dream and an aspiration,” confessed Boca executive Marcelo Delgado when asked about the possible signing of the Joya. It’s no longer just rumors, now it’s a reality: Xeneize wants him, whether for this transfer window or in June—when his contract with Roma ends—and they have initiated contact with Dybala’s camp.

The club made the first direct inquiries with the player and his representatives. What happened in that approach? Boca made it clear they are excited to have a player of his caliber on their roster and that they are keeping an eye on his situation, considering Roma has no intention of renewing his contract, which expires mid-year due to his inconsistent performance in the latter part of 2025.

However, they have not made any formal or informal offer to Dybala; it was simply the start of a process they know will not be easy, but in which there is hope, similar to what happened with Paredes. And Boca’s stance is exactly the same: they won’t rush and are waiting for a signal from the Joya. The ball is in the world champion’s court.

Miguel Borja

After finishing his time at River, he now has the status of a “free agent” and admitted he is looking for a new direction to relaunch his career after a complicated year. What no one expected was that he wouldn’t rule out a hypothetical chance to play for Boca. “You can never close the door,” he said, to the surprise of many. What do they say about this at La Ribera? The door is open, but with the caveat that the ball is in the striker’s court.

Considering he has always been a name on the radar, Borja’s statements mean that in the offices at La Bombonera, they are not ruling out or looking unfavorably on the opportunity for him to wear the blue and gold shirt.

It’s worth clarifying: while Boca is “opening the doors,” there is also a clear position of not actively pursuing him or offering him a contract. Why? The decision is up to the Colombian; and that means if he truly wants to switch sides, he will have to make it known privately. In other words, it can’t just be a passing comment he made on ESPN.

Alexis Cuello

Amid San Lorenzo’s institutional crisis, there have been no formal contacts so far, but at Boca he is a name on the list to strengthen the attacking front. The 25-year-old forward has had a couple of good seasons in a row (scoring 5 goals in 16 matches in the Clausura) and appears to be an interesting possibility.

Riquelme knows that signing a number 9 is imperative for Boca. With Milton Giménez out of form (ending the year with a long goal drought, poor performances, and criticism from fans) and Edinson Cavani in an endless battle with injuries, the only player in shape to fill that role, although it’s not necessarily his natural position, is Miguel Merentiel.

Gastón Hernández

The player’s representatives, the captain of San Lorenzo, offered him to Boca in recent hours. For several transfer windows, Xeneize has been interested in the center back, but for various reasons, negotiations have never progressed.

The situation is very similar to Cuello’s: With Marcelo Moretti refusing to resign his presidency after the club was declared leaderless, there is uncertainty about starting negotiations, and Xeneize is waiting for a resolution to the deep crisis at Ciclón to see if they can move forward. They want him to compete for the position with Lautaro Di Lollo ahead of the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

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