Emiliano Rigoni has joined MLS club Austin FC.
Rigoni has made the transfer over to North America. The club announced on Friday that he has signed with them and is a designated player.
The 29 year old joins them from Brazilian club Sao Paulo on a contract which would keep him with them through the 2024 season with options to remain in 2025 and 2026.
With the Argentina national team, the midfielder played two World Cup qualifying matches.
Lautaro Blanco of Rosario Central is set to join Elche in La Liga.
Blanco will likely be making the transfer over to La Liga next year. According to César Luis Merlo, the 23 year old left back will join them in 2023 for €2 million.
Regarded as a solid left back in Argentina, he has yet to be capped for the national team.
Lucas Ocampos has expressed his desire to be at the 2022 Qatar World Cup with the Argentina national team.
Ocampos has featured several times with the Argentina national team with Lionel Scaloni as coach. While not part of the team at the Copa America or the Finalissima, he does still get called-up to the team. Speaking at a press conference with his club Sevilla, the 28 year old spoke about the World Cup and being with Argentina. Here is what he had to say:
“The World Cup is more than an important objective. Every player wants to play it and more so in my country.
“I was in many call-ups but not the last one or the Copa America but I was not discouraged, the opposite. I want to work harder and start the season well with Seville because that way my opportunity can surely come. That the five Argentine’s of the team (would be there) would be beautiful for us and would also speak highly of the club.”
Sergio Romero has stated that the door to the Argentina national team is one that will never close.
Romero was part of two FIFA World Cup tournaments with the Argentina national team and was the hero for the team in the semi finals. Having played 96 matches, the 35 year old is a free agent. Speaking in an interview with ESPN, here is what he had to say:
“The Argentina national team is a door that will never close in my life.
“The national team is doing very well, it has people who are very committed to defending this colors. The team is very good and the fact of having won a title reinforced the unity of the group. It was needed to unwind. It’s going to be a great World Cup.”
He also spoke about Lionel Messi:
“Leo changed the facet he had before. He has grown a lot. We are seeing the best version of him simply because he is a little older and thinking things much better.”
Rodrigo De Paul spoke about Lionel Messi, Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni and the World Cup.
De Paul has been one of the pillars of the Argentina national team. Part of the Lionel Scaloni process from the first day, the Argentine spoke in an interview with América Noticias on Thursday. Here is what he had to say:
“In 2019, after the match against Brazil, Leo (Messi) put himself in a position of an absolute leader defending all of us. From there, everything started to flow. Obviously the wins help.
“People are very euphoric and you don’t want to disappoint anyone but a World Cup is very difficult. We won a Copa America, the Finalissima, we are 33 matches without a loss and we qualified well.
“Hopefully we can have a great World Cup.”
Regarding Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni:
“When the call came from Leo (Scaloni) in this changing process after the last World Cup, I saw an opportunity of being able to be part of what is to come and the truth is that I took advantage of it. Things in the national team turned out better than I expected.”
