Walter Bou · Biography

The first trophy of Walter Ariel Bou's career came in 2017: the 2016-17 Argentine Primera División title with Boca Juniors, the club where he had come through the youth ranks. A forward nicknamed “la Panterita”, he was born on 25 August 1993 in Concordia, in the province of Entre Ríos. He has played in Argentina, Brazil and Chile, won two league titles with Boca and lifted a Copa Sudamericana and a Recopa Sudamericana with both Defensa y Justicia and Lanús.

Boca academy and the move to Gimnasia

Bou played in Boca Juniors' youth and reserve teams but left without making a first-team appearance, departing on a free transfer. In 2014 he joined Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, where he made his top-flight debut that same year under coach Pedro Troglio. His first seasons in La Plata brought few minutes. The breakthrough came in the 2016 tournament, when he scored seven goals, including his first top-flight brace in February that year. In all he played 29 matches and scored 7 goals for Gimnasia between 2014 and 2016.

Back at Boca and two league titles

In June 2016 Boca Juniors agreed to bring him back, buying 50 per cent of his registration rights. Under Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Bou scored in his first friendly, a 2-0 win over Paraguay's Libertad in September 2016, starting in place of the injured Darío Benedetto, and in October he scored his first competitive goal for the club. He was part of the squads that won the 2016-17 Primera División and the 2017-18 Superliga Argentina. His time at Boca, spread out between loans until 2020, brought 51 appearances and 9 goals.

Loans in Brazil, Chile and Santa Fe

In July 2018 Boca loaned him to Brazilian side Vitória for a year. He played eight matches without scoring and terminated the loan after the club were relegated that year. In January 2019 he moved to Chile on loan to Unión La Calera, and in July 2019 he joined Unión de Santa Fe, again on loan. He made 24 appearances and scored 7 goals for the Santa Fe club up to 2020.

Defensa y Justicia and continental success

In December 2020 he arrived on loan at Defensa y Justicia, who were then in the closing rounds of the Copa Sudamericana. On 23 January 2021, in Córdoba, the Florencio Varela club beat Lanús 3-0 in the final to win the 2020 Copa Sudamericana, their first international trophy; Bou started and was involved in the build-up to Adonis Frías' opening goal. In April 2021 came the 2021 Recopa Sudamericana, won against Palmeiras 4-3 on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw. In January 2022 Defensa y Justicia signed him permanently on a four-year deal. Across his two spells at the club he played 76 matches and scored 23 goals.

Vélez Sarsfield

In June 2022 he joined Vélez Sarsfield. He made 49 appearances and scored 8 goals there until early 2024, a spell without silverware.

Lanús and the 2025 Sudamericana

On 19 January 2024 he joined Lanús, who acquired 100 per cent of his rights. In 2025 the Granate reached the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Mineiro, played on 22 November at the Defensores del Chaco stadium in Asunción. The match ended 0-0 and Lanús won 5-4 on penalties, although Bou missed his kick in the shootout. It was his second Copa Sudamericana and the second in the club's history. In February 2026 Lanús beat Flamengo 3-2 after extra time at the Maracanã to win the 2026 Recopa Sudamericana, the first in their history. On 13 August 2026 Lanús announced his loan to O'Higgins, of the Chilean Primera División, until the end of the year.