Aston Villa and Manchester United have both been given a new indication that signing Santiago Beltrán won’t be so quick, with River Plate now confident the goalkeeper will renew his contract.
The two Premier League clubs have made enquiries about Beltrán in recent months. Neither has followed that interest with a formal offer, according to the latest reports from Argentina.
River have used that time to work on the 22-year-old’s future. There’s now considerably more confidence that they’ll get the new contract they want.
That doesn’t completely close the door on a transfer, though.
Beltrán now expected to renew
Bolavip Argentina reports that Beltrán will sign a new contract at River. His current deal expires in December 2027, and negotiations over an extension have been going on for some time.
“Although there have been enquiries, there still hasn’t been a formal offer from abroad. River’s idea is to renew him so that he stays with the squad for a long time”, says the report.
Manchester United and Aston Villa are both specifically named among the clubs to have made those enquiries. Juventus have also been mentioned in Argentina. But as you noticed, Bolavip makes River’s current position very clear.
The club know a major European side could arrive with serious money, so the new contract would also give them much more control if that happens.
TyC Sports previously reported that River were becoming convinced Beltrán’s days at the club were numbered. They also said €15m (£13m) would be the starting point for negotiations in the next window.
The latest information doesn’t bring a new asking price or claim that those plans have disappeared. Instead, it tells us what River are doing while United, Villa and others hold off: getting the renewal sorted and trying to keep Beltrán.
So there’s no transfer battle just yet. Both clubs have asked about him, but haven’t bid. River, meanwhile, look set to get the new contract they wanted.
If Manchester United or Aston Villa do come back for Beltrán, they’ll likely be dealing with a club in a much stronger position than they are today.
