There is a certain kind of South American transfer that looks sensible on paper and then quietly stalls. Federico Gattoni is fast becoming the textbook case. Sevilla signed a 23 year old centre-back who had been a regular for one of Argentina's big clubs, paid a modest fee, and handed him a four-year deal. More than three years later he has been loaned to Belgium, loaned back home to Argentina, and returned to a Sevilla side where he barely gets on the pitch.
With his contract running out at the end of June 2027, this season is the one that decides what kind of career he has in Europe. Here is where things stand.
The file on Gattoni
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Federico Agustin Gattoni |
| Born | February 16, 1999, in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Age | 27 |
| Height and weight | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in), around 79 kg (174 lbs) |
| Nationality | Argentine, also holds Italian citizenship |
| Position | Centre-back, right-footed |
| Club and shirt | Sevilla FC (La Liga), number 22 |
| Contract | Until June 30, 2027 |
| Market value | Estimated at EUR 800,000 to EUR 1 million |
| Agent | Marcelo Lombilla |
Raised in the San Lorenzo system
Gattoni's football started at Club Chacabuco, a local side in Buenos Aires. At seven he moved into the San Lorenzo academy, and he stayed there for more than a decade, climbing through the age groups until the first team finally called in late 2020.
His debut came on October 31, 2020, in a goalless draw with Argentinos Juniors in the Copa de la Liga Profesional. After that he was simply part of the furniture. Around 94 appearances and 8 goals followed, which is a healthy tally for a centre-back and says plenty about how dangerous he was attacking set pieces.
He also earned two caps for Argentina at under-20 level and was in the squad that won the COTIF L'Alcudia tournament in 2018. A senior call-up has never come.
Belgium, then home again
Sevilla moved for him in January 2023, paying a reported fee of around EUR 1.4 million. He stayed at San Lorenzo on loan until the Argentine season wrapped up in June 2023, then arrived in Spain.
It did not click. His first season brought just four appearances across La Liga and the Copa del Rey. In January 2024 he went to Anderlecht on loan, hoping for regular football, and came away with around 10 appearances. Not a disaster, not a breakthrough.
The next stop was River Plate, from the second half of 2024 into early 2025. He played 7 times and was in the squad that reached the Supercopa Internacional final, which River lost to Talleres de Cordoba on penalties after a goalless draw. Again: involved, but never central.
Back in Seville, on the bench
Gattoni returned for the 2025/26 La Liga season and found the door still mostly shut. By early 2026 he had one league appearance to his name that season, roughly nine minutes off the bench against Deportivo Alaves in February. Add it all up and his career sits at around 115 appearances and 9 goals, with the clear majority earned in Argentina.
That is the uncomfortable truth of his time in Europe. The player who started week after week for San Lorenzo has, so far, been a squad name at every European club that has had him.
What kind of defender is he?
At 6 ft he is not a giant by centre-back standards, but he competes hard in the air and positions himself well. He tends to play on the right of a pairing, which suits his stronger foot. Think organised and uncomplicated rather than a ball-playing creator. The goal record hints at genuine aerial threat in the opposition box.
His best football, on the evidence available, came in Argentina. Whether that is a ceiling or a question of opportunity is exactly what the next year should answer.
The wage, the fortune and the guesswork
His reported salary at Sevilla is around EUR 8,077 a week, which works out at roughly EUR 420,000 a year before tax. That is a fair wage for a backup defender in La Liga and nowhere near the club's top earners.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at somewhere between $3 million and $6 million as of 2026, based on career earnings in Argentina, Belgium and Spain plus any endorsement income. Treat that as a rough estimate. No official figure exists, and players at this level rarely make their finances public.
Why the price fell to around a million
At San Lorenzo he was rated among the more promising young defenders in Argentine football, and his value peaked during that spell. Sevilla's outlay of around EUR 1.4 million looked like a bargain at the time.
Today, major valuation sites put him at an estimated EUR 800,000 to EUR 1 million. The reason is obvious: loans and bench time do not build a price tag. Icon Polls reckons a realistic fee in the current market would land around EUR 1 million to EUR 1.5 million, though with his deal ending in 2027, Sevilla's leverage shrinks with every month he stays.
FC 26: a squad player in pixels too
In EA Sports FC 26 he carries an overall rating of around 71 to 72 depending on the update, with 2 star skill moves, a 4 star weak foot and Medium/Medium work rates. His potential sits around 71, so Career Mode players should not expect a hidden gem. He is a sensible depth signing for Sevilla or a lower mid-table La Liga side, which mirrors his real-world role fairly well.
If you would rather argue about defenders who did crack the European game, go and vote for the best football players of all time on Icon Polls.
Three things worth knowing
When does Federico Gattoni's Sevilla contract end?
June 30, 2027. That gives Sevilla a narrowing window to sell or loan him before he can leave for nothing.
Has he played for Argentina's senior team?
No. He won two caps at under-20 level but has not been called up to the senior squad.
Which clubs has he played for?
San Lorenzo, Sevilla, and loan spells at Anderlecht in Belgium and River Plate in Argentina.
