Tottenham eye move to sign €100m River Plate starlet but face fierce competition from Atletico Madrid

Not all that long ago, Lautaro Rivero was selling South American dessert alfajores, a type of sandwich cookie, on the street to help his family. Two years on from stopping motorists at traffic lights to shift these treats, the defender is impressing for River Plate and earning his first cap for Argentina, where he came off the bench in his country's 6-0 win over Puerto Rico last month. Now, according to Spanish publication, La Razon, Tottenham and Atletico are duking it out to sign the 6ft 1in player. Spurs have quality centre-backs in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso but appear to want more options at the back.

The report adds that Rivero has a €100m (£88m) release clause but the Spanish giants, who are looking for a new centre-back amid Clement Lenglet's struggles in defence and Jose Maria Gimenez's injury troubles, are not interested in paying that much. In fact, they don't even plan to fork out half of that for the former Central Cordoba loanee. Incidentally, Diego Simeone's team are reportedly 'worried' about Tottenham pursuing the defender, with the Premier League side's pursuit likely to push up his price tag. The report does add that River Plate are aware it will be difficult to retain the youngster's services for long, even though his deal runs until December 2028. However, it is 'highly unlikely' any club will pay such a big fee to secure his signature. 

Rivero, who initially joined Cordoba on an 18-month loan deal in mid-2024 before River Plate cut that short after a year due to his successful exploits there, is still riding the crest of a wave following his humbling beginnings.

He previously wrote on Instagram: "A year ago. I can't believe all this."

"Not only alfajores, but I also sold flowers. I used to go to the central market or the fair to sell notebooks. When we were given vacations in the lower divisions at River, I used to spend my time selling," Rivero added. "It was a process that marked my life. For me and for my future. Despite everything, I never stopped training and going to River. I knew that at some point I was going to solve my problems, but I also knew that training only in the morning was not going to be enough.

"My first objective is to be able to help my family. We are very humble and hard-working people. The first thing I want is for them to be better and to have everything they deserve. I want to see my mom, my dad and my brothers, and my sisters as well. Thanks to them, I am here, fighting day by day."

Amid all this transfer speculation, Rivero will likely be focusing on starring for River Plate and trying to tie down a spot in Argentina's World Cup squad next year. A move to Europe in January could jeopardise his chances of getting regular game time and heading to the tournament in North America, so it may be for the best to stay put with the Buenos Aires outfit for the foreseeable future. In the short term, Rivero will hope to help his team beat Gimnasia La Plata in the league on Sunday night.