Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez has spent much of the past year surrounded by transfer uncertainty. Fresh comments from Argentina suggest another potential move is already starting to appear on the horizon.
Even after eventually securing a Premier League move with Palace, his situation has never fully settled because of limited continuity in England.
Now, back home, Boca Juniors are openly discussing the possibility of targeting him in the next market.
Not the first choice in Argentina
The comments came from journalist Marcelo González during an appearance on Argentine programme Directo al Hueso.
According to González, Boca are still waiting to see how youngster Leandro Brey develops between now and the middle of the year. However, the club are already planning for the possibility of entering the market for a senior goalkeeper.
“Boca are still waiting for Brey and how his performances will be from now until the middle of the year. That hasn’t changed. But Boca will definitely look for a goalkeeper in the next transfer window,” he stated.
“They probably won’t look for a backup goalkeeper – they will aim as high as possible.”
Olympique Marseille’s Gerónimo Rulli was initially discussed internally. However, González explained Boca quickly realised the operation would be extremely difficult financially.
“The first name that appeared was Rulli. When I asked specifically about him, they told me: ‘Rulli costs a lot of money, we don’t think it’s possible’,” he said.
“Now they have to look towards the Premier League, where Walter Benítez is playing.”
Benítez’s debrief
González and the programme’s panel then spent time discussing the Palace goalkeeper’s path through European football, including his years at PSV and earlier spell with OGC Nice.
The journalist also acknowledged Benítez has not established himself fully since arriving at Palace midway through last season.
“He arrived at Crystal Palace in the middle of last season and today he doesn’t have much continuity. He has played a couple of matches though, it’s not like he has never played.”
Interestingly, González also gave a fairly balanced assessment of the goalkeeper himself.
“Maybe he hasn’t had huge standout performances, but obviously if he had continuity in European football for so long, there’s a reason for that.”
Of course, Walter Benítez’s name has repeatedly surfaced in transfer discussions over the past year. During his final months in the Netherlands, several clubs explored his situation as uncertainty grew around his future.
A Premier League move eventually arrived, yet his medium-term role still feels slightly unclear because of the lack of regular minutes. That naturally creates space for clubs back home to start paying attention. In fact, River Plate have put him on their radar last year.
But at 33, he fits Boca Juniors’ preference for proven personalities in key positions.
What happens next
There is no indication yet that Crystal Palace are actively trying to move Benítez on this summer. However, Boca’s interest may become one to watch if the goalkeeper continues struggling for regular continuity in the Premier League.
For now, this feels more like the early stages of internal discussions in Argentina rather than advanced negotiations.
Still, Benítez’s future has felt unstable for quite some time – and Boca are now openly looking in his direction.
