The report indicates a request for Buendia to delay his vacation, after having been crowned Europa League champion just days ago. His immediate future could change drastically if Paz is unable to recover.

Also, according to insider Gaston Edul on X, the Como midfielder has not yet recovered from his knee injury and is undergoing specialized treatment in an effort to get back to full fitness. In that case, Buendia’s name is among the options being considered as his replacement.

Injury concerns plaguing Argentina

As Lionel Scaloni finalizes his squad preparations, injuries are casting a shadow over the national team with several high-profile players dealing with physical issues at a critical time. Captain Lionel Messi tops the list as he recovers from a hamstring inflammation, while star goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is managing a fractured finger on his right hand that has limited his training load.

The defensive lines are similarly depleted; both Gonzalo Montiel and Nahuel Molina are dealing with muscle tears, leaving the right-back position heavily exposed. Additionally, midfielder Leandro Paredes is working through hamstring strain, forcing the coaching staff to carefully monitor their key veterans ahead of the upcoming fixtures.

What’s next for Argentina?

As part of their final preparations to defend their title at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina will play two pre-tournament friendlies in the United States. They will first face Honduras this Saturday, June 6, at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Following that match, Lionel Scaloni‘s squad will travel to Alabama to take on Iceland on Tuesday, June 9, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. These two warm-up fixtures will serve as the final testing ground for the reigning world champions before they make their official tournament debut against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City.

Despite clubs trying to save as much as possible due to the covid pandemic, the usual suspects like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United all spent the big bucks this offseason to prepare their teams for the new season.

Defenders were in high demand as 6 of the summer’s top transfers were defensive players. While Jack Grealish is the very questionable number 1 transfer of the summer. Here is the list of the top 10 2021 summer transfer signings in Europe!

10. Emiliano Buendía – €38.40 million

The Argentine right back, Emiliano Buendía transferred from Norwich City to Aston Villa for €38.40 million, Buendía played three years for Norwich before his move to Villa. Buendía has also been called up to the Argentine national team ahead of World Cup qualifying.

9. Tammy Abraham – €40 million

English forward Tammy Abraham made the summer move from Chelsea, where he was often on loan to Serie A to Roma. The England striker will look to be a centerpiece of José Mourinho’s team, Abraham already has 1 goal in 2 games to kick off his new Italian career.

8. Ibrahima Konaté – €40 million

The 22-year-old French defender completed his move to Liverpool from RB Leipzig for 40 million Euros. Ibrahima Konaté played 66 times for the Red Bulls and is known for his positional play and pace.

7. Raphaël Varane – €40 million

The French center back was sold from Real Madrid to Manchester United for €40 million, Raphaël Varane was on United’s radar for quite some time and the club was finally able to land the World Cup winner to Old Trafford.

6. Dayot Upamecano – €42.50 million

Yet another French defender jumped ship as Dayot Upamecano moved from RB Leipzig, where he played 112 games to Bayern Munich for €42.50 million. The 22-year-old is just entering his prime and has been called up to the French national team three times in 2020.

5. Ben White – €58.50 million

Ben White moved from Brighton & Hove Albion to Arsenal for a rather high €58.50 million, White had a very good run at Leeds United, but the transfer seems very high on a player who essentially has played for mid table teams in England.

4. Achraf Hakimi – €60 million

The Morocco international right back Achraf Hakimi moved from Inter Milan to suit up with Lionel Messi and Neymar at PSG. Hakimi played only 37 games for Inter Milan and scored 1 goal.

3. Jadon Sancho – €85 million

One of the biggest transfer sagas of the year, Jadon Sancho finally left Borussia Dortmund and returned to England to play for Manchester United. Sancho cost the red devils €85 million, as one of the most exciting young players in the world much is expected from Sancho at Old Trafford.

2. Romelu Lukaku – €115 million

Back for his second stint in England with Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku was sold from Inter Milan where he was a scoring machine to Chelsea for €115 million. Chelsea gets what they have been looking for, for a while now, a powerful goal scoring forward.

1. Jack Grealish – €117.50 million

Jack Grealish is talented, but at €117.50 million? Seems a bit inflated but Manchester City got their man and Grealish is moving from Aston Villa to City. Not much of a goal scorer and only 12 caps for England with 0 goals, he is the number one player on this list ahead of players who have done much more and are younger.