River is preparing to be the protagonist of one of the busiest transfer markets in recent years. After a semester that left more doubts than certainties both locally and internationally, the management led by Stéfano Di Carlo decided to move forward with a deep restructuring of the professional squad.
The club's president himself confirmed during an interview on the F90 program on ESPN a significant cleanup in the roster: "We have jointly decided that around 15 players will leave, and I have instructed the sporting director (Pablo Longoria) to start this process from today. It will have to happen very quickly". He also clarified that the decision was made quite some time ago, even before losing the final of the 2026 Apertura Tournament against Belgrano.
According to what he revealed, the management's idea is to form a shorter and more competitive squad. In that sense, the president explained that the goal will be to work with a group of around 20 top-level players, leaving behind the model of extensive squads that characterized River in recent seasons.
As he detailed, the departures will occur through various mechanisms. Some players will be transferred, others could go out on loan, and there is also the possibility of terminating contracts or handing over the rights to expedite the renewal.
"We have changed the format that was usual in River of waiting for processes and fulfilling contracts. Now we are going to manage the departures actively. In some cases, we will sell for less than we bought and we will take that loss, because there are situations that are no longer sustainable", he stated.
The restructuring also has a strong economic component. The management believes that reducing the wage bill will allow concentrating resources on acquiring high-caliber players who can elevate the competitive level of the team. "Having fewer players will allow us to invest better. We need to get rid of 15 players and concentrate those resources on five or seven reinforcements that give us a leap in quality", Di Carlo explained.
River will let go of 15 players and will focus on 5 to 7 high-quality reinforcements.
The president acknowledged that this is a unusual measure within Argentine football and particularly at Millonario, where contracts have historically been respected until their expiration. However, he assured that the current context forces more drastic decisions. "It is not normal to sit down with a player and tell them they will not continue. But the situation we are going through is not normal either. I will not allow this to continue", he emphasized.
As the search for reinforcements progresses, among which the arrival of Nicolás Otamendi is already confirmed once the World Cup is over, the management hopes to resolve a large part of the departures before the start of preseason in Spain. With a more aggressive policy and a commitment to enhancing the squad, River seeks to change the course for the second semester and build a team capable of competing for the most important titles again.
