Rio de Janeiro, Dec 25 (IANS) Atletico Mineiro have reached an agreement to sign former Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi on a free transfer, the Brazilian Serie A club has said. In another transfer move in the South American market, Argentinos Juniors are in talks with veteran star Enzo Perez.
In one of the first few moves in the transfer market by Atletico Mineiro, the 27-year-old is due to arrive in Belo Horizonte in the coming days to undergo a medical and sign a five-year contract.
“The signing of the contract and the official announcement will take place after the completion and approval of the medical exams,” read a statement on Atletico Mineiro’s official website on Wednesday.
Lodi, who has 19 Brazil caps, had been without a club after parting ways with Al-Hilal in September. His nine-year professional career has also included spells at Nottingham Forest, Marseille, and Atletico Paranaense, reports Xinhua.
Atletico Mineiro finished 11th in Brazil’s 20-team Serie A standings this year with 12 wins, 12 draws, and 14 losses.
Meanwhile, Veteran Argentine midfielder Enzo Perez could join Argentinos Juniors on a free transfer, the Buenos Aires club said on Wednesday.
Perez’s contract with River Plate is due to expire on December 31, and manager Marcelo Gallardo has told the former Valencia and Benfica player he is not part of his future first-team plans.
Argentinos Juniors sporting director Raul Sanzotti said the club was negotiating a possible performance-based contract with the 39-year-old.
“We like him. Hopefully, at some point, he can be with us, we are talking,” Sanzotti told DSports Radio. “It’s not so much about money, it is more about the sporting side, about what we want to compete for.”
“Argentinos usually sign contracts based on productivity, beyond the salary. We support players from that angle, so there is more competitiveness,” he added.
Perez made 37 appearances across all competitions for River Plate this year, having joined the club for a second time in January from Estudiantes. He also represented River from 2017 to 2024, helping it lift the 2018 Copa Libertadores trophy.
–IANS
bsk/
