River open talks to sign Luciano Gondou | OneFootball

River hasn’t finished its year yet, but it’s already starting to shape its squad for 2026. While some players are expected to leave after their contracts expire and others are awaiting offers to end their time at the club, the first names are emerging as possible new faces. Luciano Gondou is the chosen one to strengthen the attack.

The Millonario has already contacted Zenit to open negotiations. The initial proposal was for a loan with either an option or obligation to buy, but so far there has been no progress. The striker has reportedly given his approval, and those at Núñez are now waiting for the Russian club’s response to take the next step.

With a past in River’s youth divisions (he had a seven-month loan in 2019/20), Gondou stood out at Sarmiento (17 goals in 85 matches) and, above all, at Argentinos Juniors (14 in 38). He also had a notable performance with the Argentina U-23 National Team, and in August 2024 he was sold to Russian football for 12 million euros (the Junín club retains 20% of his rights).

With an imposing presence (he’s 1.89 meters tall), his background as an attacking midfielder and even as a winger gives him some versatility, although today he is a pure center forward. Since joining Zenit, he has played 49 matches and scored 14 goals, although in this semester’s Premier League he started in only one of the 15 rounds. He didn’t score any goals. He did have more participation in the Russian Cup, where he scored twice in seven games.

With Miguel Ángel Borja’s departure practically sealed and the possibility that Facundo Colidio could be transferred, River 2026 is short on strikers. Gondou appears as the first alternative in the transfer market, and although it doesn’t seem like an easy negotiation, there is optimism in Núñez.

Gondou and his brief time at River

In mid-2019, after shining with a goal and two assists in a friendly between Sarmiento and River’s Fifth Division in Ezeiza, Hernán Díaz set his sights on him and the Millonario managed to secure his arrival on loan.

Although he had a place and was a starter in that year’s U-20 Copa Libertadores, the quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with Junín’s promotion to the First Division, led him to decide to break the deal and return to his club in the early months of 2020.

Since then, his career has skyrocketed, but today he finds himself sidelined at Zenit. That’s why his name has started to resonate strongly at River and, although initially only a loan was discussed, it’s possible that negotiations will progress and his future will once again be with the red sash.

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