Juan Román Riquelme preparing for Brighton offer and Seagulls fight
by Sean Lunt · Sport WitnessBoca Juniors president Juan Román Riquelme is working to keep youngster Lionel Flores out of Brighton and Hove Albion’s clutches.
The winger is earning plenty of attention from around Europe at this moment in time. Brighton are one of those in the mix, and Boca’s president is working to ensure he doesn’t depart too early.
Sport Witness reported earlier this summer that Brighton were showing an interest in the youngster. We explained at the time they would need to be convincing to get him to England any time soon.
Manchester City joined the picture after that, with a report explaining why they and Brighton were looking at the €13m rated winger.
A report last month then stated that Brighton were preparing an offer for Flores, with Tottenham also in the mix.
Boca Juniors to the Premier League
Direct transfers to Premier League clubs
| Year | Player | Premier League club | Position | Transfer details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Nolberto Solano | Newcastle United | Right midfielder | Permanent transfer. Became the first Peruvian to play in the Premier League. |
| 1999 | Carlos Marinelli | Middlesbrough | Attacking midfielder | Signed from Boca’s youth setup aged 17, before making his senior Boca debut. |
| 2007 | Emiliano Insúa | Liverpool | Left-back | Initially joined on loan in January. The move was subsequently made permanent. |
| 2024 | Valentín Barco | Brighton & Hove Albion | Left-back / left midfielder | Joined in January on a four-and-a-half-year contract after 35 first-team appearances for Boca. |
| 2024 | Aarón Anselmino | Chelsea | Centre-back | Signed in August, initially remaining at Boca on loan before joining Chelsea’s squad in January 2025. |
Additional case — Alexis Mac Allister: Returned to Brighton from his Boca Juniors loan in January 2020. Brighton had bought him from Argentinos Juniors in January 2019, so this was a loan recall rather than a transfer purchase from Boca.
Scope: Direct transfers from Boca to clubs playing in the Premier League at the time, including academy recruits. Each player appears once. Players who joined an intermediate club before moving to England are excluded.
Sources: Newcastle United, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, PremierLeague.com and historical transfer records. Checked 23 October 2026.
SPORT WITNESS
Riquelme working
Now El Intransigente report that Riquelme is looking to keep they young talent at Boca. He’s aware that he’s being monitored by Brighton, and that the situation could develop in 2027.
The Seagulls are very much tracking Flores’ development with an eye towards potentially signing him. They have a strong history of signing young talent from South America in recent years.
No formal offer has been made yet. Nor are there are any active negotiations. Boca are very much waiting for interest to translate into a concrete proposal.
For now, Brighton are just monitoring. That’s something they’ve reportedly been doing for a while. In fact, their scouting started before Flores was even in the first team. His recent performances have sustained their interest in him.
To date he’s managed 20 appearances for Boca, with four goals and three assists. Scouts have marked him down for him clinical finishing and playmaking ability. His call-up to the Argentina national team has only added to his growing reputation.
$25m figure being floated
Boca are now working hard to ensure that he doesn’t leave early. His current deal runs until 2029 and includes a €20m release clause. That could rise to €25m if any club triggers it during the Argentine transfer window.
Thus, the Argentine club feel confident at this moment in time. His contract length give them breathing room ‘to make a measured decision’ and evaluate the terms of any potential deal. They’re reluctant to lose their gem at any point.
Riquelme is particularly against losing a player who is a current rising star in the first team. He is working hard to ensure that players he deems vital to the project are retained. Flores fits into that bracket.
Should Brighton turn their interest into a formal offer, Boca will have a decision to make. But for now, they’re working to ensure that the youngster remains where he is.