Bombshell: Enzo Pérez defined his future after his departure from River

The saga has reached its end. After weeks of back and forth, Enzo Pérez has reached a preliminary agreement with Argentinos Juniors and will continue his career in Argentine soccer. As a free agent after closing his spell at River, the experienced midfielder accepted Bicho's sporting and financial challenge, which will have the 2026 Copa Libertadores as the main objective of the year.

The contract that will link the Mendoza-born player with the La Paternal team will run until December 2026, in a bet on quality, leadership, and balance in the middle of the field. The insistence of the head coach, Nicolás Diez, was decisive in unlocking a negotiation that seemed to have collapsed, since the coach pushed the board to improve the offer and reactivate the agreement.

At 39 years of age, Enzo is not only facing a new challenge, but he is also pursuing a historic milestone. With 109 matches played in the Copa Libertadores, he is just four short of Ever Hugo Almeida, the player with the most appearances in the history of the tournament. If Argentinos get past Phase 2 against Barcelona de Guayaquil, the midfielder will have a concrete opportunity to reach an unprecedented record.

The midfielder arrives after a final irregular year at River. He played 38 matches and was a starter in the closing of the tournament against Racing, although as the months went by he lost prominence in Marcelo Gallardo's plans. At the end of November, Millonario bid farewell to his second spell with a message full of recognition: "For eternal glory, for defending our colors with your heart, and for being a legendary captain, eternally thank you, Enzo!".

His arrival takes place in the context of an Argentinos Juniors side that is active in the transfer market, which has already completed the signing of Gino Infantino on loan from Fiorentina and is moving forward to add Chilean goalkeeper Brayan Cortés, currently at Peñarol. With Enzo Pérez as a standard-bearer, Bicho is seeking to make a competitive leap and become strong again on the continental stage.