Maximiliano Salas to Athletico PR
Quiet since 25 June 2026. Last report: German Garcia Grova. Probability when it went quiet: 4%.
Athletico PR want Maximiliano Salas, the 28-year-old Argentine attacker, and they have already moved. The Brazilian side sent River Plate a formal offer: a one-year loan with an option to buy. River knocked it back, judging the proposal insufficient for a player they value at around £4m and who is tied to the club until the end of 2029. So the interest is real and the paperwork exists, but the two sides start far apart on structure. The one voice on this is Cesar Luis Merlo, a well-regarded reporter with a solid track record. He carries the specifics: the formal loan offer, the option to buy, and River's verdict that it fell short. That said, this is a single source rather than a chorus. Nobody else has corroborated it yet, which keeps the story thinner than a fully confirmed pursuit. Right now this is a long shot. River hold the leverage. Salas has more than three years left on his deal, and they have already rejected the opening approach as too light. For it to move, Athletico PR would need to improve the terms sharply, most likely a bigger guaranteed fee or a firmer obligation to buy rather than a soft option. Salas cost River £7m from Racing Club in 2025, so a loan with an option looks modest against what they paid barely a year ago. That gap in value is exactly why the first offer landed short. The next trigger is a revised bid. Watch for Athletico PR returning with sweeter terms, or River signalling they will listen at a higher number.
Who reported it
- German Garcia Grova, 25 June 2026: 🚨#River consideró insuficiente la propuesta de #Paranaense por Maxi Salas 📍La misma era de un préstamo con opción de compra 👉El conjunto 🇧🇷 seguirá insistiendo por el delanter
- Cesar Luis Merlo, 25 June 2026: 🚨Athlético Paranaense está interesado en Maxi Salas. *️⃣Ya envió una oferta formal de préstamo por un año con opción de compra, pero River la consideró insuficiente. https://t.co/