Buenos Aires, November 28 (NA) -- River Plate has confirmed five significant departures as they prepare to build their professional squad for the 2026 season: defender Milton Casco, midfielders Enzo Pérez, Ignacio Fernández, and Gonzalo 'Pity' Martínez, and forward Miguel Borja. According to the Argentine News Agency, the contracts of the five players expire at the end of the year, and the 'Millionaire' club has decided not to negotiate their renewals. After a critical year for what River demands as an institution, four 'Madrid Heroes' will have concluded their cycle under coach Marcelo Gallardo. River's 2025 was not a good one, accentuated by a terrible end to the year with only two wins in their last 13 matches, so a major restructuring of the professional squad was expected. Gallardo had promised to focus on rebuilding the squad just days after his team's 3-2 defeat to Racing in the Clausura tournament round of 16 on Monday, November 24, and as anticipated, the first departures did not take long to arrive. The most significant departure is that of Enzo Pérez, a central midfielder who joined the 'Millionaires' in 2017 and was a key part of the 2018 Copa Libertadores, where River beat Boca, as well as winning nine other titles with the red-banded club. During his two spells, only interrupted by a brief return to Estudiantes in 2024, Enzo Pérez played 279 matches, including one as a goalkeeper, and earned the captaincy, becoming one of the icons of the club's modern history. With nine seasons wearing the River shirt, another player dismissed by the 'Millionaires' with separate posts on his social networks was 'Nacho' Fernández. A player Gallardo always counted on, the midfielder, who came from Gimnasia de La Plata, played a total of 314 matches for River, scoring 42 goals and providing 53 assists. It was also time to say goodbye to the author of one of the most important and celebrated goals in the history of the team that plays at the Monumental, the attacking midfielder Gonzalo 'Pity' Martínez. In addition to being remembered for the unforgettable goal that sealed Gallardo's team's victory over Boca in the aforementioned Libertadores final (3-1) after an endless run, 'Pity' played 172 matches and managed to turn the insults he received upon his arrival into ovations, although in his last cycle, injuries limited him to just 29 appearances in three years. Having worn the red band for 10 years, standing out as a left-back but also serving as a great utility player for any need, Milton Casco said goodbye to River after 316 matches and 13 cups won. Finally, Miguel Borja, the player with the shortest tenure at the club on the list, will not return to play for Marcelo Gallardo's team. Although he started his time at the club with high scoring numbers, they decreased considerably in the recent period. In any case, the Colombian scored 62 goals in 159 matches, with 2024 being his most statistically significant year, with 31 goals in just 50 matches.
