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Giovani Lo Celso to River

Quiet since 24 June 2026. Last report: Fabrizio Romano. Probability when it went quiet: 8%.

Right now there is very little to this. Giovani Lo Celso, 30, is contracted to Betis until June 2028, and the plan on the club's side is simple: he stays and forms part of the squad next season. A link to River Plate has surfaced, with a fee floated somewhere between £4.5m and £6.4m, but nothing is advancing. No talks are underway. The story rests on a single faint contact rather than any live negotiation between the two clubs. The most authoritative voice on it, Fabrizio Romano, has actively cooled the idea rather than fuelled it. His update states plainly that there are no discussions between River and Lo Celso at this stage. Beyond that, the River angle traces back only to a low-grade contact link. So this is thin sourcing pointing away from a deal, not towards one. Honestly, this is a long shot. For it to gather pace you would need River to open real talks and Betis to signal a willingness to sell a player they currently want to keep. Neither is happening. With three years still on his contract, Betis hold every card, and the current word is that he features for them next season. River's recent recruitment sits at modest numbers: Palmeiras to River for £6m, and Fiorentina to River for £6m. A Lo Celso fee of £4.5m to £6.4m would fit that pattern neatly. The problem is not the money. It is that no one at Betis is looking to sell. The trigger to watch is a first genuine approach from River and any hint Betis would listen. Until then, this stays parked.

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