Medrán targets new holding midfielder to rebuild Sabalero squad | OneFootball

As Colón goes through days of institutional and sporting transition, the transfer market begins to take shape under the guidance of Ezequiel Medrán, who is considering strengthening the midfield with a name he knows very well: Ignacio Antonio, a 29-year-old central midfielder, a key player at Gimnasia de Mendoza during the last season.

Antonio, born in Rosario on January 4, 1995, played 36 matches in 2024 —2857 minutes in total— and scored two goals. His participation was distributed across 33 regular season matches of the Primera Nacional, one in the playoffs, and two in the Copa Argentina, establishing himself as one of the most solid midfielders in the Mendoza team.

Trained at Juventud Unida de Villa Esther, he made his professional debut at Instituto during the 2013/14 season. He then had stints at San Martín de San Juan and Deportivo Maipú, until becoming a stable piece at Gimnasia de Mendoza, where Medrán coached him and was very pleased with his performance and competitive profile.

A Midfielder in the Midst of Defining His Future

Without continuity at the Mendoza team for 2025, Antonio is in the midst of defining his future and expressed it publicly: “Now I have to play at a new institution and we'll see where I will play. I will set new goals at the club I join.”

From the coach's entourage, they assure that the player is in talks and is among the first names on the list of reinforcements the coach wants to rebuild the squad in 2026. His arrival fits with the idea of a young, intense team with dynamic play in the midfield.

Iván Antunes, Another Target

Besides Antonio, the other name mentioned by Diez en Deportes is Iván Antunes, a 27-year-old right-back, also from Rosario like the midfielder. Born on April 23, 1998, he is 1.78 meters tall and completed a solid campaign at San Miguel, where he played 27 matches (2108 minutes) and scored one goal in 2024.

Antunes was trained at Gimnasia de Jujuy (2021) and then moved through Central Norte (2022), Olimpo (2023), and San Miguel in the last season, showing offensive projection, range, and good defensive intensity, characteristics that Medrán considers essential for the Primera Nacional.

The New Colón Begins to Take Shape

With the imminent appointment of José Alonso and the arrival of Diego Colotto to lead the sports area, Colón begins to outline its squad for a season that will require deep renewal. In this path, Ignacio Antonio emerges as one of the first reinforcements in progress, while Antunes appears as another priority alternative for the full-back positions.

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