Following the departure of Maximiliano Gutiérrez, Independiente has advanced in negotiations for Álvaro López, a 28-year-old Argentine center-forward who plays for Albion in Uruguay but whose transfer rights are held by Plaza Colonia, where his contract expires on 31/12/2027. Independiente is accelerating efforts to sign a new attacker, as the transfer window is about to close and after the loss of two key offensive players in one week. The Uruguayan club is asking for between 1.2 and 1.4 million dollars for a percentage of the player's transfer rights. In the 2025/2026 domestic league season, López scored 14 goals in 25 appearances. His current market value is €750k, according to Transfermarkt.