River turn down multi-million offer from Brazil for Facundo Colidio | OneFootball

While all the attention is focused on new signings, mainly the relentless—but so far elusive—search for an attacking midfielder or winger, Wednesday in Montevideo brought news that baffled both insiders and outsiders: a $12 million offer for Facundo Colidio came from Brazil. River’s response? Also unexpected: rejected.

Although the name of the club that made such a proposal to the Millonario’s offices has not been revealed, by now it’s hardly surprising considering the financial power wielded by the top teams in the neighboring country, who continue to fill the Brasileirao with stars from all over the world.

The real news lies in River’s decision to turn down the offer for Colidio, a player who lost ground during his inconsistent 2025 (ending up as a substitute), but whom Marcelo Gallardo is determined to recover and envisions as a key piece in his football project for this nascent year.

Why the refusal? There are several reasons. On one hand, the lack of new signings in that area of attack—a search that has proven complex in the market. On the other, the internal evaluation by the coaching staff: the manager considers him a fundamental part of his football structure. And, moreover, an important detail: the former Boca player renewed his contract just a few months ago, is tied to the club until December 2027, and has a release clause set at $100 million.

Within the club, they understand that selling Colidio now would mean dismantling an offensive structure that has yet to fully consolidate and needs continuity to reach its best version. Gallardo trusts that, with a full preseason and a more favorable context, Colidio can regain the confidence and level that made him decisive in previous cycles. That’s why, beyond the economic impact of the offer, in Núñez they are prioritizing sporting goals and betting that 2026 will be the year of redemption for the 26-year-old forward.

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