El Millonario is negotiating the purchase of 50% of the transfer rights of the Colombian defender, who views a possible move to Núñez favorably
Besides Romaña, in Núñez officials are also closely monitoring another Ciclón player to reinforce a sensitive position. After Milton Casco's departure, River is searching for a left-back and, after the first alternatives fell through, the radar locked onto Elías Báez.
After finalizing the arrival of Fausto Vera and setting in motion the signing of Aníbal Moreno, River is keeping its foot on the accelerator in the transfer market looking ahead to 2026. In that regard, El Millonario has moved forward with formal negotiations for Jhohan Romaña, the current center-back for San Lorenzo. The Núñez club aims to buy 50% of the Colombian's transfer rights, valued at 6 million dollars, and there have already been direct contacts between the parties in an attempt to unlock the deal in the short term.
The negotiations are being led by Mariano Barnao, a man of utmost trust for head coach Marcelo Gallardo, who in this window has taken on a more active role in talks. El Millonario's idea is to finalize the agreement as soon as possible so that Romaña can join training at River Camp and thus add depth to a position that could suffer from the departures of Sebastián Boselli and Paulo Díaz.
Sources close to the player indicate that Romaña views the possibility of wearing La Banda's jersey favorably, a factor that works in favor of the Núñez club. The main obstacle doesn't lie in the player's willingness, but rather in the delicate institutional moment that San Lorenzo is going through, with a questioned leadership and a scenario of uncertainty that makes decision-making difficult. Even so, in Núñez officials are confident that, with an appropriate financial offer and swift moves, the negotiation can reach a successful conclusion.
The initial plan had been Román Vega, but Zenit did not agree to negotiate for him, while the second option, Julio Soler, was practically ruled out after Bournemouth's decision to prioritize a loan within Europe, with Ajax as the likely destination.
With that scenario, Báez's name began to gain strength and River plans to move for him over the course of this week. The 21-year-old defender has a contract with San Lorenzo until December 2027 and is valued at around four million dollars for 80% of his transfer rights. El Millonario's idea is to try for a loan with a purchase option, a formula the club has adopted in this transfer window to reduce large investments that could later fail.
