Total agreement: Nicolás Otamendi to be River's first winter signing | OneFootball

River reached an agreement with Nicolás Otamendi, and the world champion will be the club’s first signing of the winter transfer window. After finalizing his departure from Benfica as a free agent, the center-back, an open River fan, will sign a contract through December 2027, possibly before the start of the World Cup.

What seemed like a dream a few years ago will finally become reality in the coming hours. Nicolás Otamendi, one of the best center-backs in the country’s history, will wear the River shirt after the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where he will represent the Argentina national team for the last time in his career. The idea is for him to sign his contract for the next 18 months before leaving for Kansas City, where Lionel Scaloni’s squad will be based during the tournament, which begins on June 11.

After six seasons at Benfica, during which he played 281 matches and scored 18 goals, the El Talar native brought his time in Europe to an end, where he also played for Porto and Manchester City and won 22 titles with the three clubs. At 38, he decided to return to Argentina and fulfill his dream of playing for River, the club he supports.

Through a statement on social media, the Eagles expressed their gratitude: «Otamendi was always an example of passion, dedication, competitiveness, leadership, and professionalism, contributing decisively to the winning of four titles. You will always be part of our family, and this will always be your home. Thank you, captain.» In addition, José Mourinho, his coach in recent seasons, respected his wishes despite wanting to keep him: «There are people who have earned the right to choose their future because of everything they have built in football, and Otamendi is one of them. It will be his decision whether he returns to Argentina and River Plate or stays at Benfica. Everything is in his hands.»

In this way, Otamendi, who arrives in peak physical condition despite his age, will become River’s first signing of the winter transfer window and the first of the Coudet era, who took over on the bench after the summer window had already closed. He will also be the fifth world champion in River’s squad, which already includes Franco Armani, Germán Pezzella, Gonzalo Montiel, and Marcos Acuña.

The confirmation of Ota’s arrival comes during River’s most important week of the semester, as next Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Mario Alberto Kempes, they will play the Torneo Apertura final against Belgrano. In addition, on Wednesday the 27th against Blooming at the Monumental, they will close out the first half of the year aiming to finish first in Copa Sudamericana Group H and thus avoid the playoff round.

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