Ariel Ortega agreed with the River Plate board on Tuesday to go out on loan for a season to Mendoza club Independiente Rivadavia, of Primera B Nacional. Ortega turned down the chance to move to the United Arab Emirates to play a season for Al Mir Sports due to the distance from his family and the need to seek professional help for his alcohol addiction. At the same time, Federico Nieto will play a season for Banfield, also on loan from the business who own his registration, with the option for the club to buy him outright next year. That move comes after his planned move to Racing fell through. And down by the Riachuelo, Boca are close to losing Jesús Dátolo to Fluminense – and Jonathan Maidana might be going with him.
The good news for Boca is that Rodrigo Palacio’s back from the injury which dogged him during pre-season, and scored in training on Wednesday. The bad news is that Fluminense’s offer of around US$10 million for Dátolo and Maidana could well prove too good to turn down, especially given that even before Maidana entered the equation, Flu were already claiming to have offered Dátolo a contract on better terms than the new one he’s just signed at La Bombonera. For their own part, Boca are close to signing their two winter-long transfer targets, Spanish midfielder Iván Moreno y Fabianesi and Ignacio Piatti from the two La Plata clubs, Estudiantes and Gimnasia respectively.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
thats some coup for Ind Rivadavia, I see them play in Mendoza about a year ago and they were woeful.
Nice money for Boca. Maidana won’t be missed as Boca is set with Caceres and Paletta in the back, and with Ibarra’s return, as well as Krupoviesa, he won’t be needed outside. As for Datolo, he may turn into one helluva player, or maybe revert back to his maddening form of not all that long ago. I hope Boca won’t miss him what with Palacio healthy, but they might. I guess this means I have to hope Castroman gets his act together. Ugh. Looks like Palacio stays with Boca again.
Ignacio Piatti would be a nice pick-up for Boca, regardless of whether Datolo stays or goes. Are he and Pablo related? I never thought that they were but then I heard one of the announcers here in the states mention something about them being brothers…
Andrew, I haven’t seen anything saying definitely either way, and I did wonder myself (they both live in La Plata and they’re both cordobese), but I’m pretty sure they’re not brothers. Ignacio does have at least one brother, Sergio – his agent. But I don’t think Pablo is one as well, or I’m sure we’d know for certain.
If anyone knows different, please let us know!
Pablo and Ignacio Piatti are not related in any way.
I think Piatti would be a good signing for any club, but he doesn’t wan’t to leave Gimnasia just because he’ll be a free agent next season.
It’s hard to understand how a player can take this kind of decision.
OK thanks for the update on the Piatti situation.
Which is better for Gimnasia? Piatti to leave and at least raise some sort of transfer fee? Or to stay one more season and maybe help the side avoid relegation, then walk away for free in June?
The questions of ownership and rights of Argentine footballers are so complicated, I’m not sure if GELP would see much money if they did sell him, so I think it’s best they keep him for what will be the most important season in the club’s history. If they went down, they’d lose him anyway.
He showed a couple of nice touches against Nuls, I think he will be an important player however long he stays, Jujuy and others down there don’t really have players like him.