Leonel Pérez leaves Grêmio after six months, joins Racing on loan with buy option | OneFootball

Leonel Pérez has left Grêmio only six months after signing, joining Racing on a one-year loan that includes a 3.5 million dollar option to buy. According to Globo.com, the 22-year-old travelled to Argentina on Monday, exactly six months after his 10 February announcement on a deal to 2029.

One driver was financial. Grêmio still owe part of the 8 million dollar fee for Juan Nardoni, now a starter, and any Pérez purchase would be offset against that debt.

Performance also counted. Early in his career after only 38 senior games at Huracán, Pérez did not cement a place in Brazil, while Racing had just sold midfielder Santiago Sosa to Vasco for about 7 million dollars.

He made 19 appearances, starting 13. After a period of individual conditioning, he made his debut on 12 March against Bragantino, a month after arrival, whereas Nardoni played on 25 February.

After the World Cup he started only once, a defeat at Bolívar in the Sudamericana with a rotated side. Coach Luís Castro moved to a three-man midfield, with Noriega taking the role Pérez had held before the tournament, alongside Villasanti, Dodi, Tiaguinho and Zortéa.

Grêmio had agreed to pay 2.83 million dollars to Huracán for 50 percent of Pérez’s economic rights.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”