Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez remains firmly on River Plate’s radar, although the plan for him now looks a little different.
Reports from Argentina this week presented River as wanting Benítez to arrive in 2027 and become their first-choice goalkeeper. There is now a little more detail about what they actually have in mind.
El Intransigente says River president Stefano Di Carlo has identified the Palace man as an option for next year. However, Benítez wouldn’t necessarily walk straight into the starting XI.
River want competition regardless
Santiago Beltrán has established himself as one of River’s big recent success stories and has the confidence of Leonardo Ponzio. That hasn’t stopped the club looking for another goalkeeper.
The new report says River want an experienced option who can increase competition for the position. Crucially, that search isn’t dependent on Beltrán leaving.
That’s a slight change from the picture presented earlier this week. Benítez had been described as someone River wanted to replace Beltrán and become their new No.1. El Intransigente instead says the Crystal Palace player would arrive to “compete for the starting spot”.
His European experience is a big part of the attraction. River believe his years with Nice and PSV, plus his involvement with Argentina, give him the profile they want. They would try to convince the 33-year-old to return home.
Beltrán situation still matters
That doesn’t mean Beltrán’s future is irrelevant. El Intransigente says the youngster has been followed from Europe and has already attracted interest from important clubs – Chelsea and Aston Villa are among them.
River are therefore preparing for different scenarios. If Beltrán goes, having an experienced goalkeeper lined up becomes particularly useful. If he stays, they still want someone capable of properly challenging him.
For Palace, the important part is that Benítez remains on River’s list either way. There has been no concrete move yet. The Argentine side haven’t reached an agreement with either Crystal Palace or the goalkeeper.
Benítez is still described as a target of the River leadership, with any progress depending on the conditions of a potential deal. Nahuel Losada, Gerónimo Rulli and Sergio Rochet remain the other names under consideration.
So, one day on from the first claims, the picture is a little clearer. River do want Benítez, but apparently aren’t promising him the gloves from day one.
Given how often a return to Argentina has been floated for the Palace man, getting from interest to an actual deal remains the bigger hurdle.
