Francisco Álvarez to River Plate
Quiet since 5 September 2026. Last report: Cesar Luis Merlo. Probability when it went quiet: 14%.
River Plate have opened talks to sign Argentinos Juniors defender Francisco Álvarez, but the two clubs remain some distance apart on both the fee and the structure of any deal. River's opening offer of around €3m for a slice of Álvarez's ownership rights was rejected, with Argentinos holding out for roughly double that figure for a larger share. Boca Juniors were also linked earlier in the process, though there is no sign of a formal bid from them. Álvarez himself has reportedly been told to stay put for now, after River proposed paying any fee in instalments over three years rather than upfront. The reporting here comes from two Argentine voices. Cesar Luis Merlo broke the news of the rejected bid and has since added detail on the payment terms and Álvarez's own reaction. German Garcia Grova, a solid if slightly less trusted source, corroborated the shape of the negotiation independently, including the ownership percentages on both sides. Two reporters lining up on the same numbers gives this some real weight, even without an official club statement. Right now this sits as a long shot rather than anything close to done. For it to happen, Argentinos need to soften their asking price or River need to find more upfront money, and neither looks close. The instalment structure that upset Álvarez is the main sticking point beyond the fee itself. River have paid similar money for defensive reinforcements before, including €4m for a player from Internacional in 2024, and comparable €4m fees for arrivals from São Paulo, Huracán and Rosario Central back in 2007. A deal in the €3m to
Who reported it
- Cesar Luis Merlo, 5 September 2026: 🚨Cristian Malaspina, sobre el interés de River en Álvarez: 🎙️"Tuvimos un problema con Francisco, pero entendió que se tenía que quedar porque la oferta de River era a pagar en tr
- Cesar Luis Merlo, 2 September 2026: 🚨Argentinos Juniors rechazó una oferta de River por Francisco Álvarez. *️⃣La misma era de u$s 3M libres de impuestos. El Bicho pretende u$s 6M "limpios" por el 80%. ⬇️ https://t.c
- German Garcia Grova, 2 September 2026: 🚨{EXCLUSIVO} #River ofertó por Francisco Álvarez 👉US$3M por el 50% de la ficha 📌#AAAJ pretende US$6M por el 70% 📍Siguen negociando. https://t.co/JdGRbdGPM1
- German Garcia Grova, 29 August 2026: 🚨#River abrió conversiones por Francisco Álvarez, el marcador central de #AAAJ 📍El 🐞 está abierto a una transferencia. 📌#Boca sigue en la pelea 👉Aún no hay ofertas formales. �
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