River Plate are set to hold talks with Real Madrid over the transfer of midfielder Exequiel Palacios according to the Argentine club’s president.
Recent reports have linked the 20-year-old with a move to Los Blancos with claims the transfer would take place following the final of the Copa Libertadores in which River Plate take on arch-rivals Boca Juniors over two legs.
The first leg was set to take place on Saturday but had to be postponed until Sunday due to torrential rain in Buenos Aires, with the second leg scheduled for November 24.
And River Plate president, Rodrigo D’Onofrio has admitted his club will talk with Real Madrid about Palacios once the final is done.
“The clubs haven’t talked yet, but [Madrid’s head of PR] Emilio Butragueno will talk to [River sporting director] Enzo Francescoli about the player when all this is over (the Copa Libertadores Final],” he told Cadena SER, as reported by Football Espana.
“It’s likely that Exequiel Palacios will play in Europe next season, given the interest from various European clubs.
“Once the Libertadores is over, we’ll sit down and talk, although we want him to stay as long as possible.”
Palacios is widely regarded as one of the brightest talents in South America, making his River Plate debut as a 16-year-old in 2015.
The 20-year-old is also a full international with Argentina, earning two caps in September 2018.
What is Exequiel Palacios’ playing style?
A central midfielder by trade, Palacios has made a name for himself as a good all-round midfielder able to contribute in both attack and defence.
Off the ball, Palacios helps his team by pressing opponents, tracking back to defend or giving team-mates a passing opportunity, similar to how N’Golo Kante does for Chelsea – though that is in no means a comparison in abilities at this stage.
The 20-year-old has averaged 2.5 tackles per 90 minutes in Argentina so far this season, while also intercepting at a rate of 0.6 per 90.
But Palacios is not just a hard worker off the ball, the 20-year-old also has the ability to influence on it. In his Primera Division appearances this season, the Argentine has averaged a pass accuracy of 80% while scoring one goal and recording two assists.
The post River Plate confirm Exequiel Palacios transfer talks with Real Madrid appeared first on Squawka News.
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