Leeds United and West Ham United are ready to battle it out for the signature of Argentine defensive sensation Lautaro Rivero.
Lautaro Rivero’s sensational rise has not only earned him his first Argentina cap, but it has also resulted in a lot of interest from the Premier League in particular. According to a report from Fichajes, Leeds United and West Ham United are ready to square off against each other to sign the River Plate graduate.
Rivero has been a part of the River Plate setup since his childhood days. He went up the ranks at some pace and got promoted to the first team at the start of 2024. The young centre-back spent a year on loan at Central Cordoba in search of regular minutes.
He had quite an impressive spell, and thanks to that, he has been handed an important role in the River Plate first team since his return last summer. Not only has he done an impressive job in the heart of the defence, but he has also even chipped in as a left-back when needed.
Rivero was handed his Argentina cap towards the end of last season and is now in contention to be a part of the World Cup squad as well. The 22-year-old defender has also attracted a lot of interest from top clubs in Europe.
Leeds and West Ham are after Rivero’s signature
Multiple English clubs are after him, and West Ham and Leeds United seem to be the most serious suitors at this stage. Signing him won’t be that easy as River Plate have complete control over his future with his deal running until the end of 2028.
While his official valuation is just €7 million, the Argentine club will certainly want a lot more than that to let him go anytime soon. They reportedly won’t listen to offers below €30 million and have him protected by a €100 million release clause.
Both the Hammers and Leeds are looking to freshen things up at the back with a young defender. They want someone who is aggressive in nature and has massive potential. Rivero certainly fits the bill for both clubs, who lack depth at the back.