El Millonario has already started talks with Spartak Moscow to bring back the midfielder, one of the players targeted by Eduardo Coudet to strengthen the midfield
It is almost a fact that Thiago Almadawill 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.
Esequiel Barco is one of the figures of Spartak Moscow
However, the midfielder has decided to return to South America for personal reasons, a scenario that has opened the door to River's interest. In recent weeks, he had also been linked with Independiente, the club where he began his football career, although that possibility did not progress. Even Boca analyzed his situation when he was offered, but ultimately decided not to pursue his signing.
Beyond the interest, the negotiation for the midfielder does not seem straightforward due to the financial demands of Spartak, although Coudet's approval and the player's willingness to leave Europe fuel the expectations of the Millonario.
If the negotiations reach a successful conclusion, Barco would become River's sixth reinforcement for the second half of the season, in a transfer market where the management continues to seek options to enhance a squad that has not yet withdrawn from the search for new signings.
Barco's numbers at River
From his arrival in early 2022 until his departure in mid-2024, the player from Villa Gobernador Galvez played 7,894 minutes wearing the Millonario jersey, distributed over 127 matches, in which he scored 17 goals, provided 19 assists, and received 10 yellow cards. In terms of titles, he won 3: 2023 Professional League, 2023 Champions Trophy, and 2023 Argentine Supercup.
