Unión hold the cards: what next for Thiago Cardozo | OneFootball

The transfer market added a new chapter for Unión. This Tuesday, the deadline Belgrano had to exercise the purchase option for Thiago Cardozo expired, but the Córdoba club decided not to use the $1.2 million clause and will now have to sit down and negotiate again with Unión’s leadership.

Far from marking the end of the story, the situation opens a new round of talks, although in a different scenario: the Tatengue regained room to maneuver and will have greater decision-making power over the future of the Uruguayan goalkeeper.

From Córdoba, it was always suggested that the intention was not to pay the amount set in the loan contract. Belgrano’s goal was to reach a more favorable financial agreement with Unión, acquiring part of the player’s rights for a lower value and also negotiating the percentage of the registration rights that belongs to the player himself.

In that context, there were contacts between the clubs’ leadership in recent weeks, although the financial differences prevented the deal from being finalized before the option expired.

The offer submitted by Belgrano consisted of $400,000, plus the cancellation of a debt of around $200,000 that Unión still owes from the transfer of Agustín Colazo.

However, in Santa Fe they felt those figures do not reflect Cardozo’s current sporting level or market value after becoming one of the best goalkeepers in Argentine football during the first half of the year.

With the clause now expired, any transfer will depend exclusively on the agreement the two clubs can reach.

Belgrano’s insistence has a simple explanation: Cardozo is considered an indispensable piece for the club’s sporting project.

The Uruguayan was one of the main figures behind the campaign that ended with the Torneo Apertura title and, in addition, he appears to be a key player heading into the second half of the season with the team competing on two fronts in the Clausura and the Copa Argentina.

On top of that, there is an even bigger objective. In 2027, the Pirata will play in the Copa Libertadores and the club’s leadership intends to keep the core of the championship-winning squad together, with the goalkeeper as one of its main leaders.

While Belgrano looks for a formula to bring the sides closer together, Unión is watching the negotiations unfold from a strengthened position.

The Santa Fe club owns 65% of Cardozo’s economic rights and, since the purchase option was not exercised, there is no longer a preset price forcing it to accept certain conditions.

That is why, if the Córdoba side wants to keep the Uruguayan goalkeeper, it will have to submit an offer that meets Unión’s demands, which now has the final say in one of the most important negotiations of this transfer window.

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