The Argentine media that cover River Plate's preseason in the United States take it as a fait accompli that Venezuelan forward Salomón Rondón will seal his bond with the millionaire team.
After 15 years of gaining experience in the leagues of Spain, Russia, China and England, Rondón is looking for a top-class club that will allow him to extend his career abroad. At 33 years old and after two seasons without prominence or productive minutes at Everton, River offers him the opportunity to play in one of the teams with the most cartel in South America, which is always competing for the title in Argentina and which begins a new project under the direction of Martín De Michellis, who knows first-hand the virtues of the Venezuelan, since he had to face him in 2016 when Salo was an attacker for West Bromwinch Albion and the Argentine was a defender for Manchester City in the English Premier League.
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According to journalist Juan Cortese from the TyC Sport chain in Argentina, who closely follows River Plate's footsteps in the millionaire squad's preseason matches, Salo's hiring “will take place in the next few hours. River's board of directors wants to sign him for two or three years, and for this the Venezuelan had to lower his salary aspirations, which are far from what he earned in Europe.
River Plate is undergoing a renewal process in the squad and the bench. Last season closed the most successful cycle in its history with Marcelo Gallardo as coach. The “Muñeco” won 14 titles for the club, including the Copa Libertadores over his nemesis Boca Juniors, in the unprecedented final of the 2018 tournament whose second leg was dominated 3-1 at the Bernabéu stadium by Real Madrid.
De Michellis took over and wants to put together a solid team in all lines. The departures of Julián Álvarez and the Colombian Rafael Borré weakened the powerful attack that River has exhibited in recent years. For this reason, Rondón fits into the project of the new coach who is looking for another powerful striker to play with his back to the goal and fight in the area.
