A new striker has arrived at Cruz Azul

The saga between Cruz Azul and Tigres has finally come to an end. After days of stalled negotiations over the transfer of Nicolás Ibáñez, talks ultimately broke through, and La Máquina officially announced the arrival of the striker, who will fill one of the club’s available roster spots for the Clausura 2026 tournament.

With just hours remaining before the transfer window closed, Ibáñez nearly didn’t make it to Mexico City at all. He missed his scheduled 4:40 p.m. flight because the deal was still not finalized. After a long afternoon of uncertainty, the striker finally boarded a 9:40 p.m. flight to the capital.

The transfer window officially closed at midnight on February 9 - and the player completed his move just in time. Cruz Azul confirmed the signing on social media early on February 10, putting a definitive end to the long-running saga between both front offices.

Cruz Azul’s transfer-market ordeal

In their search for a center forward, Cruz Azul went through a gauntlet of complications. First, they had former River Plate striker Miguel Borja lined up, and later they pushed to bring in João Pedro from Atlético San Luis - another deal that ended up far from completion.

The San Luis forward ultimately renewed his contract with the club, while Borja had already agreed to terms but grew frustrated waiting for Cruz Azul to free up a foreign-player slot. He informed the club he would listen to other offers and eventually joined the Emirati team Al Wasl.

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