Ipswich Town have barely had time to enjoy Exequiel Palacios, and River Plate are already dreaming of bringing him home.
The Argentine club’s interest isn’t exactly new. Earlier this month, reports suggested president Stefano Di Carlo wanted to convince the midfielder to return in January.
Now there’s more to the story. A major Argentine outlet has backed up River’s interest, and Palacios himself has spoken quite openly about his desire to wear their shirt again.
The good news for Ipswich? He doesn’t sound like a man in any hurry to leave England.
River want Palacios back – But he’s not their first choice
According to TyC Sports, River are already planning their squad for 2027 after a disappointing campaign.
Di Carlo recently explained that the club would be making targeted changes rather than bringing in a whole new team.
“Corrections will be made, two or three positions will be strengthened surgically, and each transfer window will be about quality, not quantity,” he said.
Central midfield is one of those positions. And River have therefore drawn up a three-man shortlist: Guido Rodríguez, Santiago Longo and Palacios.
There’s an important detail here, though. Guido Rodríguez is their priority. The former West Ham midfielder, now at Valencia, is considered a more realistic target. River believe they could tempt him back after nearly a decade abroad.
Longo, meanwhile, has impressed at Belgrano and remains another option.
But Palacios is hands down their ‘dream signing’. The problem is that even River seem to recognise how difficult that dream would be to turn into reality.
Palacios admits River still gives him that feeling
The midfielder hasn’t exactly hidden his affection for his former club. Speaking to Los Edul, Palacios explained what returning to River would mean to him.
“I’d like to come back in good shape and enjoy it. I like that challenge, but I want to be ready and give something back to the River fans.”
“Sometimes I get to play at the Monumental with Argentina, and when I see the stadium, I get that itch and think: ‘Hopefully one day I can come back and play here.'”
He’s clearly kept a close eye on what happens back home. Palacios revealed he has a WhatsApp group with Nicolás Otamendi, Thiago Almada and Ángel Correa, where they regularly discuss River.
It’s easy to understand why River supporters would love to see him back. And the feeling is clearly mutual.
Ipswich have a rather big say in all this
For all the affection, Palacios only arrived at Ipswich in August. The Premier League side paid a reported €22.5m for him, potentially with additional bonuses, and handed him a contract until June 2030.
That’s why TyC Sports themselves describe a return in 2027 as extremely difficult. At 28, Palacios is enjoying his football in the Premier League, and River would face a huge task getting him out of England.
There has even been some speculation about Ipswich’s Premier League future playing a part. Soy del Millo recently picked up a suggestion that relegation could open the door to a move next summer.
That’s purely speculation, though. There’s no reported relegation clause or evidence that Ipswich would suddenly be willing to sell if they went down. And the more immediate January idea looks even harder to pull off.
The River homecoming sounds like a lovely plan for the future. But for now, Ipswich have a player who’s getting plenty of football, a long contract and no obvious reason to pack his bags just yet.
