Héctor Villalba is set to continue his career at Peñarol in Uruguay after negotiations with San Lorenzo fell through. Although Villalba is a San Lorenzo academy product and played a crucial role in their 2014 Copa Libertadores triumph, economic differences prevented him and the club from reaching an agreement. This is largely because San Lorenzo is currently operating under financial constraints, focusing mainly on acquiring free agents or arranging loan deals. Villalba, who was training independently while recovering from a recent ligament injury, received a more financially attractive offer from Saudi Arabia but opted for Peñarol instead. His playing time has been limited to nine matches since September due to his injury.