The second half of 2026 is already underway for Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. While the professional team is resting, the management and technical secretariat are working on the transfer market to add hierarchy to the team. In this sense, both the management and the sports director Germán Brunati and the coach Ariel Pereyra have confirmed that a small tour in Russia is underway for the team that will travel to St. Petersburg in the first week of July to face Zenit in a friendly match to close the pre-season. Gimnasia will seek to make a significant investment in the transfer market. But both the management and the football staff know that they will have an unexpected return due to the fact that Nacional de Uruguay has confirmed that they will cut Juan de Dios Pintado's loan due to his poor performance. Although Gimnasia has not yet received an official notification, Uruguay assures that communication between the two institutions is imminent to confirm the departure of the defender, who has a contract with the Lobo. The future of the Uruguayan defender, Juan de Dios Pintado, is a mystery that is beginning to take shape and in Gimnasia they are closely following the situation. After the statements of Jorge Bava, coach of Nacional de Uruguay, the early termination of the loan was confirmed and the right-back should return to the Lobo before the expected date. In the event of the Uruguayan team's departure, the defender will have to put himself at the disposal of the technical staff headed by Ariel Pereyra to join the pre-season, even it is expected that he will be present on the first day of work in Abasto. Meanwhile, Gimnasia is waiting for the official communication and the resolution of the administrative aspects between the two institutions. But with the extension of Alexis Steimbach's contract, almost closed, there would not be much room for the Uruguayan. Moreover, Pintado has a high contract to be a substitute player, for this reason, the management would seek a new loan, it could be to Uruguay or to some club in our country, in default of a sale. In the coming hours, it will be confirmed that Gimnasia will close its pre-season playing a friendly match against Zenit in St. Petersburg, Russia, the team will return to the country to face the last days of preparation in the Estancia Chica field thinking about what will be the debut in Avellaneda for the Clausura Tournament. It is worth noting that the flights, the stay for a week and the match will not represent any type of expense for Gimnasia as a club. That is, the Lobo is invited and will not come out of the club's coffers.