Osasuna: We won’t give Kike away

President Miguel Archanco says Osasuna will not be giving Kike Sola away in the light of interest from Athletic Bilbao.

The Basques are keen to take the 27-year-old striker [pictured, left] to San Mames but are not keen on paying the €10m rescission clause in his contract, which still has one year to run.

However, Archanco says the Pamplona-based club have no intention of giving away a player who scored nine goals in 31 La Liga appearances last term.

“The fact he still has a year left on his contract should never be used by either party as a deterrent.

“You can’t negotiate anything under pressure or with the threat he has less than a year left, because that affects the dignity of the club.

“Kike will only be sold if we have to sell him and it would be done with dignity,” he told a Press conference.

In any case, Archanco hinted that a repeat of Fernando Llorente’s case at Athletic, where the player was left to see out the final year of his agreement, could well be repeated in Kike’s instance.

“I don’t want it to happen but it might do,” he admitted.

The President also asserted that it is a situation that does nobody any good, least of all the player himself.

“It’s a long year and a lot of things can happen. Players have to be in the team regularly and must be competitive the whole season. They also have to think about injuries…”

Nonetheless, Archanco is open to reaching agreement provided it satisfies all parties concerned.

“On the negotiating table is the fact he only has one year left on his contract. That year always develops a certain weakness on the part of the selling club as opposed to the buyers.

“If you had three [years left] then it would be another kind of situation, but that situation doesn’t have to lead us downhill.

“In reality this goes against the dignity of the club and it’s up to me to defend it,” he concluded.

Los Leones have made an offer of €4m for Kike while it is believed Osasuna would accept around €6m.

Tags Archanco Kike Sola
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