River Plate have made the Colombian midfielder Nelson Deossa a clear priority, identifying him as the man to reinforce their central engine room. They have lodged a bid worth around £4.3m, but Real Betis are holding firm on an asking price of roughly £7.7m to £10m. The player is said to be keen, yet the two clubs remain some way apart on money, and with Betis owning a contract that runs until 2030 the seller is under no pressure. Momentum has stalled squarely on the fee. The reporting comes almost entirely from Diario Ole, a reasonably reliable Argentine outlet, which broke River's interest eleven days ago and the £4.3m bid five days ago. That is honest single-source territory: credible, but not yet corroborated across multiple independent voices. Treat it as a real but unconfirmed thread. The engine's 38% reading means this is against the odds — more likely to collapse than complete as things stand. For it to land, the gap between River's £4.3m and Betis's £7.7m–£10m has to close, most probably through a creative structure such as a loan with an option or partial ownership. Holding it back: a wide valuation gap and a long contract that hands Betis all the leverage. Deossa knows this kind of money. Monterrey sold him to Real Betis for £10m in 2025, after Pachuca sent him to Monterrey for £5m the same year. River, meanwhile, paid £11m for Krasnodar's man in 2025 and £9m to CA Talleres in 2024 — so the fees on the table sit comfortably within their recent spending. Watch for River to improve their offer or for Betis to signal flexibility. A reported deadline of 30 June is the pressure point.