After a long and complex negotiation: details of Lucas Assadi's new contract with the club.

Deportivo: The agreement between Azul Azul and the player was finalized this Monday morning. The footballer will sign until December 2028. Lucas Assadi will continue to be a player for Universidad de Chile. Photo: Andrés Piña/Photosport. ANDRES PINA/PHOTOSPORT Comments: Lucas Assadi renewed his contract with Universidad de Chile. After a long and complicated negotiation, the player from Puente Alto extended his contract with Azul Azul until December 2028. The agreement was sealed this Monday morning, after lengthy discussions during the past week, and reached before the team's defeat against La Calera in the Copa de la Liga. Of course, reaching this new agreement involved overcoming several difficulties. Aware that Assadi would become a free agent in December of this year, and that he could negotiate with other clubs since June without the obligation to pay money to the entity that trained him, the technical management – led by Manuel Mayo – began the round of conversations in January. However, the dialogues became complicated because the company wanted to include a release clause of 5 million dollars, and the player's representatives argued that this would reduce his chances of negotiation, as it would be difficult for major European clubs to pay that amount for a player from the Chilean league. The agreement? Those who want to acquire him will have to pay a sum close to three million US dollars. Another point of contention was the salary that the offensive midfielder would receive. Currently, Assadi is not among the highest-paid players on the team and was seeking a significant increase. Part of the board agreed with this, arguing that it was important to value the homegrown players as much as the foreign signings. However, the austerity policy promoted by the previous administration made this difficult. Nevertheless, the vision of the new members of the concession company prevailed, and today Assadi is among the highest-paid players on the team, and those from La Cisterna say that "he is one of the best players to have emerged from the club's youth system." Photo: Andrés Piña/Photosport ANDRES PINA/PHOTOSPORT A renewal that comes at a crucial moment: The renewal of the Santiago player comes at a key moment in his career and aims to give a new boost to his campaign this year. Assadi has lost ground with Fernando Gago due to the coach's decisions and a long injury to his ankle. Assadi is not an undisputed starter and is entering in the second half of the matches played by the team. In fact, the number 10 player has only played 565 minutes and has only started against Ñublense and Everton in the Primera League. In the rest of the games, since overcoming the injury to his left leg, he has entered in the second half and has only scored in the 5-0 victory against Deportes La Serena. In fact, the young talent used his Instagram account to express himself when he confirmed that the Argentine coach would not give him back his starting position, and he posted a story summarizing his current situation: "Difficult times are a blessing, not a curse." This happened just as the negotiations, which finally reached a successful conclusion, were taking place. More about: La U, Universidad de Chile, Lucas Assadi, Primera League, Azul Azul, Football, NEWSLETTER: Deportivo, Monday, 8:45 AM: A special selection with coverage and analysis of the most important sporting events of the weekend, by the sports team of La Tercera. By subscribing, you accept the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policies of La Tercera.