Argentine football clubs continue to announce new signings and prepare for the start of the Apertura tournament, which kicks off on Thursday, January 22. Newell's officially signed the 28-year-old Uruguayan forward, Matías Cóccaro, following his stint with Montreal Impact. It's worth noting that Cóccaro made headlines a few months ago for a confrontation with Lionel Messi. Additionally, the club announced that Óscar Cortés will be presented once all paperwork with Rangers of Scotland is finalized. Meanwhile, Huracán traveled to Uruguay for two friendly matches as part of the Serie Río de la Plata. They faced Paraguayan Cerro Porteño on Tuesday and will play Colombian Cúcuta Deportivo on Friday, both at 6:15 PM. The club also signed Juan Pablo Moreno, a free agent from Boca Juniors' youth academy, and Elías Pereyra from Godoy Cruz on a two-year deal. Riestra announced the signing of midfielder Patricio Madero on a one-year loan, free of charge, with a purchase option from UAI Urquiza. He will continue his pre-season at the club's facilities after training in Pinamar. The club also announced its third friendly match against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata away from home. Boca Juniors had previously shown interest in the player, but Huracán failed to bring him back. The player, known as "El Zorro," signed a three-year contract with "La Lepera" as a free agent under a sporting meritocracy system with physical and performance goals. In other news, Rosario Central presented its three new signings in Arroyo Seco: Jeremías Ledesma, Gastón Ávila, and Vicente Pizarro. Vélez resumed training at the Olympic Village to prepare for a friendly match against Argentinos Juniors this Wednesday. Argentinos Juniors is preparing for the Copa Libertadores after qualifying through the Professional League's annual table. Lanús, for its part, reached an agreement for the termination of Ezequiel Muñoz's contract. On the other side, Banfield confirmed 16-year-old defender Mateo Mendizábal as part of its pre-season squad. In the Southern Zone, Defensa y Justicia officially announced that Abiel Osorio, acquitted of sexual abuse charges, signed with Elche of Spain but will remain on loan with "El Halcón de Varela" until mid-year.
