Fiorentina have reached an agreement to sell half of Lucas Beltran’s economic rights to River Plate, yet the Argentine striker is refusing to return to Buenos Aires. The 25-year-old, who spent the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Valencia, maintains that his future lies in European football despite the Italian club’s efforts to arrange his departure.
The proposed arrangement
According to multiple reports from Argentina, the Serie A side have accepted a €6m offer that would see River Plate acquire 50 per cent of the forward’s rights. Fiorentina would retain the remaining half and benefit from a 50 per cent sell-on clause should the Buenos Aires club subsequently transfer the player. The structure reflects Beltran’s diminished market value since his €19.7m transfer from River Plate to Florence in the summer of 2023.
The agreement comes after Beltran was informed he needed to find a new club following an unconvincing spell in Tuscany. Fiorentina originally invested heavily in the striker after he developed through River Plate’s academy and established himself as one of Argentine football’s promising talents.
Struggles in Spain
Beltran spent last season on loan at La Liga outfit Valencia in an attempt to reignite his career, but the move yielded limited success. He contributed three goals and two assists across 30 competitive appearances for the Che, starting fewer than half of those matches. The modest return has left his value considerably lower than when the Viola made him one of their more expensive recent acquisitions.
European ambition blocks move
Despite the financial agreement between the two clubs, TyC Sports reports that Beltran is actively resisting the proposed transfer. The forward believes he can still establish himself at a high level in European competition and has set his sights on securing a move to another continental side rather than returning to South America.
This stand-off presents a significant challenge for the Tuscan club, who are clearly willing to sanction his departure at a substantial loss just two years after his arrival. River Plate view the arrangement as excellent value for a player who previously starred for them, but Beltran’s contractual position leaves the deal in limbo. Without the player’s consent, the transfer cannot proceed, forcing Fiorentina to explore whether alternative European clubs might match the €6m valuation before the window closes.