San Lorenzo de Almagro face a critical contract situation with 17 players set to become free agents on December 31. The club must handle a wave of renewal decisions while sitting 10th in the Liga Profesional Argentina with 11 points from 10 games.
Talks are already underway to extend the deals of four players. Goalkeeper José Devecchi, defender Manuel Insaurralde, midfielder Daniel Herrera, and full-back Nahuel Arias are in discussions with the board. Nahuel Barrios, who suffered a knee ligament injury in July, has a clause that triggers an automatic contract renewal.
The most complex case involves Rodrigo Auzmendi. The Uruguayan forward's loan from Querétaro ends, and the Mexican club demands a four-million-dollar purchase option to make the move permanent. Meanwhile, Cristian Gallardo and Branco Salinardi have been barred from training with the first team after refusing to sign renewal offers.
Ezequiel Cerutti, 34, awaits medical clearance from a ligament injury sustained in March, and no talks over his future have begun. The full list of players with expiring deals includes Facundo Altamirano, Guzmán Corujo, Mathías De Ritis, Gonzalo Alassia, Gonzalo Abrego, Diego Herazo, Franco Lorenzón, and Mauricio Cardillo. Uruguayan pair Corujo and De Ritis are current starters under manager Rubén Darío Insua and will continue to feature.
This contractual reckoning comes during a tough sporting spell. San Lorenzo have won just once in their last five matches and trail the final Copa Sudamericana qualification spot by five points. Their next opponent, Defensa y Justicia, is the team currently holding that eighth place, with the fixture scheduled for October 3.
The club's leadership must move swiftly to secure the core of the squad and maintain its competitiveness. San Lorenzo's immediate future, both on the table and in its personnel, will be shaped in the coming weeks.
