Aníbal Moreno, the midfielder Gallardo dreams of but River can't get | OneFootball

With the curtain falling on a forgettable football year, River has kicked off the transfer market with an eye on rebuilding the squad for 2026. Marcelo Gallardo has already started the cleanup with the departure of the six players whose contracts end in December, and now he has taken another step: the "Reinforcement Operation." The list of candidates has already come to light, and it hides a name that fascinates the coach but is impossible for the Millionaire's coffers: Aníbal Moreno.

The name is no surprise, precisely because the "Muñeco" has always longed to add him to his ranks and even urged the management to negotiate for him at the end of 2024. Back then, after some back and forth, the story turned into a utopian signing due to Palmeiras' high demands.

And now? Although he has lost ground at Verdao under Abel Ferreira's leadership and didn't play a minute in the Copa Libertadores final against Flamengo, his situation hasn't changed today. In this regard, even though Gallardo sees him as the ideal number 5 for this new River that he envisions needing a drastic change, they haven't even managed to sit down and talk with the Brazilian giant's football representatives.

The explanation behind the failed management and the "impossible" nature of the situation is that Palmeiras would only let Moreno go, recently called up by Lionel Scaloni for the October FIFA date, through a full sale of his pass, which according to Transfermarkt is valued at 11 million dollars.

And if the figure is already extremely high, you have to add the new negotiation policy of the Núñez club, now in the hands of Stefano Di Carlo: not making extravagant expenditures for a player's full pass, but negotiating a percentage with an option or obligation to buy, or at most a loan, conditions that Verdao does not accept.

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