La Derecha Diario End of the saga: Lanzini is leaving River and will sign with Vélez until December 2026
After several back-and-forths, the 32-year-old midfielder, with no place in Gallardo's team, will continue his career at Liniers
When it seemed that Manuel Lanzini was going to spend several months without playing, River and Vélez reached an agreement for the midfielder to remain in the Professional League. The 32-year-old footballer will sign a contract until December 2026 and, since his departure was not as a free agent, he will be eligible to participate in all competitions.
Despite having ended the semester with some good performances, Lanzini was sidelined by Marcelo Gallardo after the Club World Cup. Not only did he lose his place in the squad, but he was also removed from the Copa Libertadores' official roster, while other footballers who were no longer on the team remained registered.
His return to River in 2023 caused expectations, but he never managed to establish himself. First, injuries and then a lack of continuity prevented him from achieving consistency. In his second spell he played 59 matches, although without any memorable performances.
His most notable moment was at the Bombonera, when he scored the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Boca with an alternate team, ahead of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals against Colo-Colo. It was his third official goal in a superclásico, all scored as a visitor.
Now, after several months away from the professional squad, the midfielder will continue his career at Vélez. The negotiation was similar to that of Rodrigo Aliendro (also to Fortín) or González Pírez (Estudiantes): a transfer with financial compensation was agreed upon, though the details were not disclosed.
River has always sought to facilitate his departure due to the good relationship between the parties, and finally reached an agreement with Vélez so he can be available both in the Torneo Clausura and the Copa Libertadores. The goal of both managements was to avoid a scenario like Marcos Rojo at Racing, who, after arriving as a free agent from Boca, could not be registered in the domestic tournament and only plays in the Copa Argentina and the Libertadores.
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