River is one of the biggest teams in South America and always invests in signing great players to compete internationally. This year it seems that they started with an operation to incorporate a world champion into their ranks in the summer: Nicolás Otamendi.
The center-back ends his contract in July 2023 with Benfica and without a renewed renewal, River could tempt him to join another world champion, goalkeeper Franco Armani.
Jorge Brito, president of River, commented that the arrival of Otamendi would be “a dream for all of us”, also confirming that they will do “everything possible” so that the defender wears the Millionaire’s shirt for next season.
His teammate Franco Armani also explained that: God willing we can have him here. He is a player with a great track record, experience, hierarchy and a great magnitude. Hopefully in the middle of the year he can make that decision to come to River and we will be waiting for him with open arms, ”commented the goalkeeper.
Otamendí played in Argentina with Velez Sarsfield before being signed by Porto in 2010, however he and his entire family were always River Plate fans, so playing for Núñez’s team would be fulfilling a dream for him.
Will Benfica let him go?
Although Benfica has not renewed Otamendi, the Portuguese club could offer him to renew before his contract expires, although the last word rests with the player, who at 34 years old will have to analyze whether to continue in Europe thinking about the 2026 World Cup or return to the league Argentina where he will continue to be a figure although he may compromise his calls to the national team.
On behalf of Benfica, coach Roger Schmidt praised the defender and stated that he would like to have him in the team for more years, “he provides a lot of leadership and intelligence on the field. I hope he renews his contract for one or two more years, but I respect any decision he makes.”
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