It is almost a fact that Thiago Almada will not arrive at River in this transfer market. For this reason, the Núñez club has activated a new target to strengthen the midfield, and the focus is on a familiar face: Esequiel Barco. The management has already initiated the first contacts with Spartak Moscow to assess the conditions for a possible return of the player to the club.
Coach Eduardo Coudet considers it a priority to incorporate one or two midfielders with offensive characteristics and the ability to create imbalance in one-on-one situations. In this context, Barco's name gained traction after the possibility of adding Álvaro Montoro from Botafogo also failed to convince.
For now, the conversations are informal and have focused on understanding the situation of the former River player at the Russian club. The Spartak is asking for around 7 million dollars for 50% of his rights, although Núñez would seek to reduce that figure to about 5.5 million to advance in the negotiation.
The player from Santa Fe arrived in Russian football in mid-2024 in a transfer close to 16 million dollars. Since then, he has played 74 matches, scored 22 goals, provided 18 assists, and won the Russian Cup, establishing himself as one of the team's key figures.
