After days of uncertainty, it appears that Keylor Navas’ move to Pumas is now a done deal and could be confirmed in the coming days.
Navas’ departure from Newell’s Old Boys opens the door for the arrival of a goalkeeper with experience in both Liga MX and the Argentine league.
Although the Argentine club hadn’t originally planned to let the Costa Rican shot-stopper leave, Newell’s is now actively searching for a replacement ahead of the upcoming semester of the Argentine Professional League.
As the transfer window neared its end and that controversy seemed to have passed, another bombshell dropped: before the match against Banfield, Navas asked to be left out and pressured club officials to accept Pumas’ offer. Caught off guard, coach Cristian Fabbiani urgently called up youngster Faustino Piotti for the bench and gave the start to Williams Barlasina. Before that, Navas had gone through warmups at El Coloso Marcelo Bielsa, where he was booed by the fans.
He was left out of the matchday squad entirely, and talks with the Mexican club resumed. Pumas had initially offered $1 million, which Newell’s deemed insufficient. But under pressure from the player, the Liga MX side upped their bid to meet the Argentine club’s demands, and the final transfer fee is expected to be around $2 million.
On Monday night, Newell’s made Navas’ departure official with a statement posted on social media. The tone was clear: the club was not happy. “Commitment, professionalism, and respect for the club’s values are non-negotiable pillars. Our path is clear: unity, effort, and pride. We will continue to work under these values to honor our jersey and our fans,” read the statement.
Now, with the Costa Rican goalkeeper gone and the transfer window set to close on Thursday, July 24, Newell’s is racing against the clock to find a replacement. Among the rumored targets are Sergio “Chiquito” Romero—now out of favor at Boca Juniors—and Esteban Andrada, who is currently at Monterrey in Mexico. Despite having a contract through 2027, Andrada wasn’t registered for the upcoming tournament, and the club is looking to move him.
Esteban Andrada could return to Argentina
According to journalist Gonzalo Calvigioni, Newell’s already has a shortlist of candidates to replace Navas. One of the top names being mentioned is Esteban Andrada. The Argentine keeper, who had a solid showing at the Club World Cup and previously played for Boca Juniors and Lanús, could be tasked with guarding the goal for the “Leprosa.”
It had been an open secret that the former Real Madrid star didn’t want to stay with Newell’s. Even before the Clausura tournament kicked off, rumors were circulating about a possible exit due to his desire to be closer to his family. But the first match of the tournament laid the situation bare—Navas claimed to be sick and didn’t even make the bench against Independiente Rivadavia. That incident was a turning point in his relationship with the coaching staff, as forward Darío Benedetto—despite being injured—had to serve as emergency backup goalkeeper.
