The departure of 16-year-old midfielder Luca Scarlato from River Plate before signing his first professional contract has caused a major stir in Núez, but it was the player's mother's words that shed light on the underlying reasons. The young player, a champion with the Argentina U-16 team in Chile, will leave the club under parental authority without financial compensation. According to Lorena Cuervo, this decision was not about money but rather the lack of a clear project for her son. In an interview with Noticias Argentina via DSports, the teenager's mother was firm: "Behind every child, there is a family, dreams, and years of sacrifices. We are not a wealthy family, we are workers, and we are moved by our son's dream, not by money." She also emphasized the strong emotional bond between Luca and the club: "He has been a River fan since he was little, his dream has always been to reach the first team and the national team." Cuervo also criticized the club's management and denied any irregularities with the player's representative: "They always attack the representative and the family. That bothered us a lot." While River claims there were rejected offers and that the destination would be Italy (with Parma as the main option), the Scarlato family insists the departure was a choice to protect the player and his career. One of the most sensitive points in her account was the medical aspect: "Luca played for almost two months with a pubalgia injury and they didn't take care of him. We see how many kids reach the Reserve team, they get loaned out, and at 21 they are free agents." Finally, the player's mother explained that the decision to leave was linked to the lack of answers about his sporting future: "They never told us what the project was. It hurts everything that is being published."
