River Plate are set to acquire Atlanta United FC midfielder Ezequiel Barco on loan, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
Sources have told ESPN that the deal will include a two-year loan, with River having the option of making the move permanent after a year or after the full term of the loan.
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The move has been rumored for weeks, with Olé reporting that each option would be for 50% of Barco’s rights for a total of $8 million.
River recently agreed to transfer midfielder Julian Alvarez to Manchester City for around $27m, and with that influx of money comes greater flexibility in the transfer market, including pursuing Barco.
The Argentinian giants are also interested in acquiring New York City FC striker Taty Castellanos, although with the MLS side asking for north of $15m, it remains to be seen if a deal will be done.
Barco, 22, was signed by Atlanta in 2018 to much fanfare and a $15million fee was reported by Argentinian side Independiente. But a combination of injuries, inconsistent form and instability in the management ranks saw him fall short of expectations.
In four seasons, Barco has made 107 league, cup and playoff appearances, scoring 19 goals. Although he has played for Argentina’s national youth teams, he has yet to make an appearance for the senior team.
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