It'd be a bombshell! River Plate want Roger Martínez as striker | OneFootball

With the season about to end, people are already starting to talk about the most likely changes River Plate could make ahead of the second half of the year. Amid the situation of a coaching change in the middle of the semester that is now coming to an end, and the dissatisfaction with the team’s level of play, it is now being mentioned that Colombian forward Roger Martínez would be a target to strengthen the Millonario’s attack.

According to Sebastián Srur, a journalist who specializes in covering the Núñez club, the Colombian attacker is the preferred option to improve the offensive phase. He even mentions that Eduardo Coudet, head coach of the first team, has already contacted him to establish initial talks with a possible negotiation in mind. Given the contractual situation, it would seem to be a less complicated matter to carry out than other transfers.

It turns out that Martínez has been playing for Al Taawon in Saudi Arabia. Although the high figures involved in Middle Eastern football, especially in that country, are well known, the player’s contract with the aforementioned club expires next June 30. That opens the door to reaching some kind of agreement directly with the player and his representative.

The risk in completing a deal lies precisely in the salary. Given the outstanding form the Cartagena-born player has been showing in the Saudi league, being one of the top scorers and keeping pace with a huge name like Cristiano Ronaldo, it would not be surprising if the same club is seeking a renewal or if other clubs in the region are also after his services.

In addition, there is something very important to keep in mind. One motivation that could lead a footballer to lower his salary in order to play in a country with greater visibility is the possibility of being called up to represent his nation. However, that door is closed for Roger Martínez with the Colombia national team, as Néstor Lorenzo left him out of the 55-man preliminary list of players eligible to go to the 2026 World Cup.

In fact, the issue escalated to the point that things went beyond cordiality. After the announcement made by the national team coach, the striker blew up with a message in which he accused him of not valuing the merits he had earned and of relying on the so-called “old boys’ network” to put together his squad. With that, it is easy to foresee that a future call-up while the Argentine remains in charge looks impossible:

“Unbelievable. The second Colombian player with the best goals-per-game average. 23 in 30 matches with two rounds still to go, fighting to be the best of the season in a league that is better than many, where there are some of the best players in the world. Whenever I had the chance I never chickened out, even without playing in my natural position many times, but you don’t know shit. More of the same, but there you go,” the message said.

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