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 the red-and-white club’s management.

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

People in Córdoba had always let it be known 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 transfer rights for a lower fee and also negotiating the percentage of the player’s registration that belongs to the footballer himself.

In that context, there were contacts between the two clubs’ executives over the past few weeks, although the financial differences prevented the deal from being completed 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 did not reflect Cardozo’s current sporting level or the market value he reached 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 institutions can reach.

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

The Uruguayan was one of the main figures behind the campaign that ended with the Torneo Apertura title and, moreover, he appears to be a key player for a second half of the season featuring the dual challenge of the Clausura and the Copa Argentina.

On top of that, there is an even bigger objective. In 2027, Pirata will play in the Copa Libertadores and the club’s management wants 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, 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 terms.

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.