Benat Etxebarria has hinted again that he won’t be leaving Real Betis in January, but is non-committal in discussing his contract renewal.
The creative midfielder was the subject of speculation during last summer’s transfer window, with Wolfsburg having a €12m bid rejected and Betis later confirming that Benat’s former team Athletic Bilbao had also made an offer for the Basque.
Since the close of the market, the player has been in contract talks with the club, but these have stalled since October and as the player suggested to reporters today, are still a while away from resolution.
“My feeling is that in football you never know. I am calm and my head is focused on Betis,” commented the 25-year-old, who has been linked with a January switch to Manchester City or Liverpool.
“There is 100 per cent chance that I could stay with Betis in January and not leave. Everyone in football knows that one day you are here and the next you are there. But now, I am happy here.
“The renewal is as it was at the beginning, neither here nor there. It is as it was. I am not in a hurry, I still have this year and one more.
“I do not want to hurry things and renew or not with a hot head. I am dedicated to what I am doing now, which is playing. The renewal is being left to third parties.
“It is a strange situation to continue with my old contract whilst still in the team. We’ll talk about the issue, in the summer we will talk.
“I’m not studying any languages though, neither English nor German.”
