Maximiliano Salas said goodbye to Racing and will join River in the coming days.

Maximiliano Salas left Racing after this morning's training session, after informing his teammates and the coaching staff of his decision to activate the release clause, of about 8 million euros, to join Marcelo Gallardo's squad and thus become the first signing for River.

Salas had been a specific request from Muñeco for months and, after speaking with the player and learning about his interest, negotiations moved forward. Initially, the idea was for Racing to sell him as part of a promise made by Diego Milito, but since the agreement did not include a transfer to a local club, that option was ruled out.

Given this, and after several exchanges between club officials, River decided to provide Salas with the money to activate the clause so he could sign a contract until December 2029. The forward is expected to undergo his medical examination this Wednesday and begin training with his new teammates over the weekend.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, River made an attempt to negotiate directly with Racing to avoid a contentious departure. However, the position of the Avellaneda club, led by Milito, was clear: "He leaves through the clause or stays. We don't negotiate".

River focused on the second half of the year

With Salas's arrival almost finalized, Marcelo Gallardo's squad will return to training this Wednesday morning at River Camp in Ezeiza, beginning a demanding stage that includes triple competition, with the Copa Libertadores as the main objective.

The team will train all week, play closed-door friendlies to test different options, and make its debut in the local tournament on Sunday, July 13, against Platense at home.

River's immediate schedule:

• 7/13 vs Platense (H)
• 7/20 vs Instituto (A)
• 7/27 vs San Lorenzo (H)
• 8/10 vs Independiente (A)
• 8/14 Libertadores round of 16 first leg vs Libertad (A)
• 8/17 vs Godoy Cruz (H)
• 8/21 round of 16 second leg vs Libertad (H)