Aston Villa and Sunderland have been given a few more reasons to keep an eye on Kevin Viveros ahead of January.
The Athletico Paranaense striker’s expected renewal has stalled, he’s changed representation and has now made his Colombia debut. There’s also a growing feeling in Brazil that this could all end with a transfer once the window opens.
That’s quite a lot happening at once for a player the two Premier League clubs have already been checking out.
Sport Witness previously reported Aston Villa and Sunderland had asked questions about Viveros. Now there’s been confirmation from Brazil that both clubs sought information on him.
Renewal was agreed – Petraglia stepped in
Globo Esporte just confirmed our information that Aston Villa and Sunderland have recently sought references on Viveros. They also bring a significant update on his situation at Athletico.
Earlier this month, the two sides had a verbal agreement over a new contract. It appeared to be heading towards completion. According to their report, Athletico and Viveros had got very close to an agreement and even settled the financial terms. But things haven’t quite worked out that way.
At the time, club president Mario Celso Petraglia, who was sidelined with health issues, returned to Athletico’s day-to-day operations. And Petraglia didn’t believe there was a need to pay the previously agreed figures at this stage. So he asked for the renewal talks to be stopped.
Viveros’ contract runs until July 2027 and includes an automatic extension until July 2028.
This isn’t the first bit of friction over his future either. Talks over a pay rise started back in June, before the World Cup break. An initial financial disagreement created some distance between the parties and even caused communication problems.
Manager Odair Hellmann worked internally to smooth things over. Athletico eventually returned to the table as Viveros became even more important. An agreement followed, only for Petraglia to put the brakes on it again.
So a renewal hasn’t been completely abandoned, but it’s currently on hold.
New agents and a January exit
There has also been movement on Viveros’ side. The striker has signed with CAA Stellar Sports, with agent Marco Vanzini now set to handle negotiations regarding his future.
There’s an expectation Viveros will be sold at the end of the year for more than €20m (£17.4m).
Athletico want to keep him until then, but there’s an acceptance internally that big offers are coming and holding onto him beyond that point will be difficult.
Also, Aston Villa and Sunderland aren’t alone. Clubs from Russia and Saudi Arabia have also shown interest, giving the Premier League pair some competition if they decide to return.
Meanwhile, another piece has fallen into place. Viveros made his Colombia debut against Mexico on Saturday, coming off the bench in the second half. And as we’ve previously explained, senior international appearances can help Viveros towards the requirements for a Governing Body Endorsement.
So the situation looks rather different heading towards January. The renewal that appeared almost done is now stuck, Viveros has new heavyweight representation, he’s officially a Colombia international and Athletico are already preparing themselves for serious offers.
The next window looks like it could be busy.
