A potential agreement between Chelsea and River Plate centered on youth player priorities is facing scrutiny throughout Europe, with Italian media leading the charge in accusing the Argentine powerhouse of becoming a "branch" of the London club.
River Plate and Chelsea are very close to reaching a strategic agreement with the idea that the Blues have mutual priority for the loan and sale of youth players, designed to provide them with sporting and economic benefits. The intention is that there be a kind of priority exchange regarding young talents in both directions.
This negotiation sparked strong criticism in Italy, where the Millionaire was accused of being a new "branch" of the British team, similar to what currently happens with Racing Strasbourg in Ligue 1 in France.
The journalist Mimmo Cugini of Gazzetta dello Sport delved into the details of the potential agreement (which he affirmed is in very advanced negotiations) and questioned whether a team of the Millionaires’ magnitude would become a "branch" of the London squad, being one of the biggest teams on the continent.
In principle, the idea is that the big projects from River’s youth academy can have the opportunity to move to Chelsea smoothly, with the path paved so that negotiations are more dynamic than usual. The Blues would have a priority right to buy, meaning they could match any offer that arrived at the Monumental for a club player.
The destination could even be the aforementioned Racing Strasbourg, owned by the same economic group and where great young Argentine football prospects like Valentin Barco and Joaquin Panichelli, both in the Argentine national team, currently play.
On the other hand, as happened with Kendry Paez, the London institution where Enzo Fernandez (a jewel from the Millionaire’s youth system) shines could loan out some players without a place on the team, allowing them to gain playing time at the Nunez club.
Although this year it will play in the Copa Sudamericana, the demands of the Copa Libertadores appear as a key factor in the development of those who are not getting minutes in England. In any case, it is difficult to imagine that players who are not South American would arrive in Argentina.
The journalist reported that fans of the French team plan to hold a protest on April 18 in London, intending to demonstrate against their club’s agreement with Chelsea, planning a protest on the eve of the Blues’ match against Manchester United.
The reason for the protest would be weariness with the handling of the team’s players and coaching staff, as happened months ago with the arrival of Liam Rosenior, who surprisingly left his position in France to take the reins of the British squad following the departure of Enzo Maresca in January.
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