The president of Independiente Rivadavia, Daniel Vila, denied having requested 12 million dollars for the Colombian forward Sebastián Villa. Villa clarified the contractual situation of the attacker at the Mendoza club. While his future is being defined in the final stretch of the transfer market, the president of 'Lepra' categorically denied that figure and explained why the player has not yet returned to the country. With the Argentine football transfer book set to close after the extension granted by the AFA, the Villa case remains one of the main unknowns. The forward has not rejoined the Mendoza squad, which has already resumed official competition with a victory over Estudiantes de Buenos Aires in the Copa Argentina, and his absence has generated conflicting reports in recent days. On Wednesday, Vila came out to clarify the situation and defend the player from criticism: 'There was a lot of hype on social media,' and in that context, he explained that the club had instructed him to remain in Colombia until there was more clarity about his sporting future. River was one of the clubs that showed concrete interest, although the negotiations did not materialize. After the close of last season, the Colombian traveled to his country and waited there for definitions on the next step in his career. For coach Alfredo Berti, the attacker is a key piece in the offensive functioning, so the club is trying to resolve his situation as soon as possible. Faced with the lack of firm offers, Independiente Rivadavia issued an ultimatum: if he is not transferred in the coming days for a figure close to what the institution is asking for, he must report to training starting Monday and make himself available to the technical staff for the Apertura Tournament. According to the president of Independiente Rivadavia, the operation fell through due to 'insurmountable differences' and flatly denied that the club had requested a figure of 12 million dollars. 'The 12 million dollars never existed, it was something that was installed on social networks,' he added. 'Yes, there were conversations with River and at the last minute, after several weeks of analysis, they decided not to proceed with the operation and that's where we ended.' Villa has a valid contract until December 2026, but he did not participate in the preseason and was not considered for the debut in the Copa Argentina. 'I don't know why, that figure never existed,' he stated.
