According to Argentine outlet El Crack Deportivo, Chelsea have recently started monitoring the 19-year-old, with the idea being to sign him and immediately send him on loan to Strasbourg, the French club owned by the same BlueCo group as Chelsea.
The arrangement would give Freitas a route into regular European football while Chelsea assess whether he is ready for Stamford Bridge, a pathway the club has already used for several young South American prospects.
Freitas looked set to establish himself in River's first team earlier this year, breaking into the starting line-up for a run of matches. His form has since cooled under coach Eduardo Coudet, with the forward now moving between the bench and the starting XI, prompting suggestions in Argentina that River could be open to cashing in while his value remains high.
He has made 22 senior appearances for the club, scoring once and adding an assist, with far more eye-catching numbers at reserve level: 11 goals and three assists in 34 matches.
Freitas only recently signed his first professional contract at River, a deal that runs until December 2028 and includes a release clause reported at around €86 million. That figure is widely seen as a protective measure rather than a realistic valuation, with the teenager rated at closer to €1 million.
Any Chelsea move would be expected to fall well short of the release clause, with the more relevant factor being Freitas' current lack of guaranteed minutes rather than River's asking price.
For now, interest from Chelsea remains at an early stage rather than an active pursuit, but the club's willingness to sketch out a Strasbourg pathway before a deal is close suggests they have already given serious thought to how they would develop Freitas if talks with River do progress.
Chelsea's ownership group has leaned heavily on that dual-club model in recent years, using Strasbourg as a proving ground for prospects signed from South America before deciding whether they are ready to compete in the Premier League.