Hours before the clash against Vélez for the Torneo Apertura,River agreed to send Matías Galarza Fonda on loan to Atlanta United for the next six months, with a purchase obligation subject to performance targets. The operation represents an early closure for a cycle that never managed to take off.
The 24-year-old Paraguayan midfielder had arrived in mid-2024 at Marcelo Gallardo's request. The board led by Jorge Brito paid 3.5 million dollars to Talleres for 70% of his rights, in a negotiation that also included Juan Carlos Portillo, another player who still has not found his place in the squad, and that in total was around 8.5 million.
However, the sporting gamble did not deliver results. Galarza played just 14 official matches and logged 778 minutes on the field, without being able to establish himself in the team's rotation. He was even singled out for inconsistent performances, among them the one in the clásico against Racing that ended in elimination in the Clausura play-offs.
