Grêmio step up: targeting Leonel Pérez to partner Nardoni in Brazil | OneFootball

The Porto Alegre Guild does not stop its march in the Argentine transfer market and, after securing the signing of Juan Nardoni, has placed all its bets on another young promise of the Professional League. The Brazilian club has initiated formal negotiations with Huracán to sign Leonel Pérez, the 21-year-old midfielder they have been closely following for weeks. The proposal that reached Parque Patricios consists of purchasing 50% of the transfer for an amount of 2,500,000 dollars free of expenses, along with a scheme of objectives that would allow acquiring the remaining half in the future.

The negotiations between the managements are very advanced, and there is optimism to seal the definitive agreement during the next week, once the classic matchday concludes. However, the gaucho team remains cautious and already has a contingency plan defined: in case the operation for Pérez suffers any setback, the target to reinforce the midfield is Franco Ibarra, the current player of Rosario Central.

In strictly sporting terms, Diego Martínez closely follows the physical evolution of Pérez, who has not yet been able to add minutes in this 2026 Apertura Tournament due to persistent muscle discomfort. The youngster has shown remarkable improvement in recent days, and the coaching staff plans to push him hard this Thursday to evaluate his response. If the results are positive, the midfielder will work alongside his teammates on Friday and will be part of the squad list for the crucial match on Sunday.

Thus, the classic against San Lorenzo at the Nuevo Gasómetro takes on a special hue for the midfielder, as it could mean his last appearance in the "Globo" jersey. While Gremio awaits the closure of the negotiation to add him to the ranks alongside Nardoni, Huracán is preparing for what seems to be an imminent record transfer for the institution, subject to what happens after the final whistle next Sunday.

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