How Juan Ignacio Nardoni plays, the most expensive signing in Racing’s history and his “a la Lautaro Martínez” clause

Juan Ignacio Nardoni’s transfer to Racing was made official this Tuesday. The 20-year-old midfielder, who comes from Santa Fe Union in exchange for $6 million for 90% of his passingthe medical examination was carried out at the Deragopyan Medical Center and became the most expensive purchase in the history of the Avellaneda club.

Given the imminent sale of Carlos Alcaraz to Southampton (13,650,000 + one million goals and a 15% capital gain), Victor White he allowed himself to make a substantial outlay of money and comply Fernando Gago the desire he had to incorporate a young man who promises a lot. The former Union signed with a $22 million release clause, so that if it were to materialize, its sale would only be less than that of Lautaro Martinez. According to the Transfermarket, Toro was sold for 25,000, even though the overall deal would have exceeded 30 million.

Nardoni made his Primera debut with Unión in 2019 at the age of just 17 under Leonardo Madelón. Although that was the only match he played that year, he gradually earned a place in Tatengue’s first team and He finished blowing up in 2022: he played 44 games, more than in the previous three seasons combined.

“I’m open to what the coach asks. I’ll be there to meet what the team needs,” were his first words as a Racing player. Shy to come out, he shows the opposite face on the pitch: he is a setter, unscrupulous, while he doesn’t give up his mark, and has that dynamism that Gago seeks for his midfielders.

The position in which he has been employed most in the last year is that of central midfielder, usually accompanied by another number ‘5’ in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, he being the one who released the most in attack. He can also play and perform very well as an inside midfielder. in the 4-3-3 that Racing usually uses.

Modern football, if we want to call it that, has changed and requires midfielders to tick all the boxes: recovery, teaming up to play and split up in attack. There Nardoni points.

Despite having only one goal in the First Division and this being his big score to settle, he cannot be reproached for not trampling the area often. He does it, proof of this are the penalties he converted in the matches against Boca and River, no more and no less, and the large number of passes that usually filter through in the last third and which, many times, end up in goals for the his team.

His main weapon is his vision of the game: he likes to offer himself as the first pass out, dribble to avoid pressure from the opposition, team up with his midfield mates and look for forwards with through balls.

He sacrifices himself to try and recover and he succeeds, more for good positioning than for throwing himself on the ground, but he lacks the ability to steal more balls per game. In short, he is better off with the ball at his feet than without it and perhaps this is one of the aspects that Pintita and his technical staff need to file.

Gago’s third reinforcement

After the return of Maxi Moralez and the arrival of Oscar Opazo, Juan Ignacio Nardoni became Racing’s third reinforcement and he was “proud and happy” that Fernando Gago, a young manager but with a huge career as a footballer, noticed him.

“I trained with Unión, so physically I’m fine. We started pre-season a long time ago,” He answered a reporter’s question about his expectations of playing the Argentine Super Cup Friday January 20, in front of Mouth at the Hazza bin Zayed stadium in the United Arab Emirates.

He had an offer Vasco Da Gama Brazilian, but the possibility of continuing in Argentine football to play in a big club seduced him and, despite the negotiation at a certain point “was complicated”, according to the footballer’s own words, he unraveled and can finally make the leap who was looking for his career.

His $6 million transfer not only makes him the most expensive signing in Academy history, but also the Unión’s most expensive sale and seventh most valuable transfer for Argentine football. The six that pass it are as follows:

1. Lucas Pratto at River (11.5 million)
2. Ivan Marcone at Boca (7.5)
3. Eduardo Salvio at Boca (7)
4. Jan Hurtado-Boca (6.75)
5. Miguel Borja at the river (6.7)
6. Carlos Tevez at Boca (6.5)