Leandro Paredes is set to become a Boca Juniors player there's no doubt about it anymore. The club announced, in a somewhat cryptic video on its official channels, that a presentation will take place on Thursday at La Bombonera. Argentine media are expecting scenes similar to those of Carlos Tévez and Edinson Cavani.
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In recent weeks, Boca Juniors and AS Roma were engaged in intense and complex negotiations regarding the future of Leandro Paredes.
The midfielder, a 73-time Argentina international and World Cup winner, made it clear from the beginning that his main objective was to return to his home country. His desire to wear the blue and gold jersey of Boca Juniors once again the club where he began his professional career was so strong that he reportedly pushed for a solution at all costs, despite having another year left on his contract with Roma.
At the heart of the negotiations was a release clause reportedly set at €3.5 million. However, Boca was unwilling to meet that full amount upfront. Instead, the Argentine club pursued an alternative structure to the deal. According to multiple reports in Argentina and Italy, the two clubs have now reached an agreement on a fixed transfer fee that falls below that figure. Still, the deal includes performance-based bonuses and add-ons, which could potentially push the total amount even higher possibly even matching or surpassing the original release clause if certain conditions are met.
This compromise allows Boca to make a marquee signing without overextending its finances immediately, while AS Roma avoids losing the player for free next year and secures a respectable return. For Paredes, the financials were secondary the emotional value of returning to La Bombonera, his boyhood dream, clearly outweighed any monetary considerations.
Fueling the excitement around the move, Boca published a cryptic teaser video on their official channels, confirming that a presentation will take place on Thursday at 6:00 PM (local time) at La Bombonera. While the club didn’t explicitly mention Paredes by name, the clues in the video and the timing of his flight to Buenos Aires leave little room for doubt.
Images of Paredes aboard a private jet headed for Argentina quickly spread across social media on Tuesday, triggering widespread anticipation among Boca fans. It’s been nearly a decade since Paredes left the club in 2014 to pursue a European career, and his return is being treated not just as a transfer, but as a homecoming.
The buzz surrounding his presentation is immense, with Argentine media already comparing it to the historic unveilings of Carlos Tévez in 2015 and Edinson Cavani in 2023 two legendary returns that drew tens of thousands to the stadium. According to TyC Sports and other local outlets, Boca is preparing for a full house, with expectations of more than 50,000 fans flocking to La Bombonera to welcome Paredes. If those numbers materialize, it would once again showcase the club's unrivaled passion and the unique status that returning idols hold in Argentine football culture.
In the case of Tévez, his return from Juventus was seen as a monumental moment, rekindling the bond between player and fans that had begun in the early 2000s. Cavani’s arrival in 2023 brought similar joy to the terraces, with a raucous reception that made global headlines. Now, Paredes a product of Boca’s youth system and a long-time fan favorite is poised to receive a hero’s welcome of his own.
The 31-year-old brings with him a wealth of experience from top European clubs such as Roma, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and Zenit St. Petersburg, along with the glory of having lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina. His leadership, vision, and versatility in midfield are expected to immediately elevate Boca’s squad, both technically and mentally, as the team pushes for domestic and continental success.
Beyond the sporting impact, Paredes' return also sends a powerful message about Boca's ambition to bring top talent back home a strategy that continues to pay dividends both on the pitch and in fan engagement. If Thursday’s presentation lives up to the hype, it may be remembered as yet another iconic moment in Boca Juniors’ rich history.
Updated: 11:18, 9 Jul 2025
