Farewell at Boca?: Napoli advances in negotiations for Changuito Zeballos

Exequiel Zeballos is going through decisive hours at Boca and everything seems to indicate that his time at the club is coming to an end. While the Xeneize prepares for a key match against Universidad Católica in the Copa Libertadores, the forward's future seems to be starting to take shape far from the Bombonera and with a European destination.

In recent hours, Napoli, one of the protagonists of Serie A and qualified for the next Champions League, has advanced in negotiations to acquire the 24-year-old Santiago attacker, whose contract with the club from La Ribera expires in December and has still not been renewed. The management led by Juan Román Riquelme has already acknowledged that this market probably represents the last concrete opportunity to secure a significant sale for the player before he can leave for free at the end of the year.

Boca maintains a firm stance regarding the transfer amount. Although figures close to 10 million dollars and a four-season contract are circulating from Europe, the club is seeking an offer above 12 million and aims to get as close as possible to the release clause, set at 15 million. If his transfer is ultimately finalized, the match against the Chileans would be the last game for Changuito in the blue and gold jersey.

The possible departure of the forward occurs in a particular context. Zeballos was once one of the great prospects from the xeneize youth system and for years was considered one of the club's main bets. However, injuries and irregularity have prevented him from fully establishing himself as an undisputed figure.

Now, with the contractual relationship stalled and strong interest from Italy, everything points to a transfer that would allow Boca to avoid a free exit that leaves no compensation and for the player to achieve the goal of making the leap to football in the Old Continent.

Zeballos' numbers at Boca

Since his debut in the first team of the Xeneize at the end of 2020, the native of La Banda has played 6,276 minutes, distributed over 139 matches, in which he scored 16 goals, provided the same number of assists, and received 14 yellow cards. In terms of titles, he has won 4: 2 League Cups (2020 and 2022), 1 Argentine Cup (2020), and 1 Professional League (2022).