In: Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta (Real Mallorca), Javier Marton (Real Sociedad B)
Loan returns: Peru Nolaskoain and Imanol Garcia de Albeniz (Eibar), Asier Villalibre (Alaves)
Out: Oier Zarraga (free, Udinese), Inigo Martinez (free, Barcelona), Ander Capa (free, Levante), Mikel Balenziaga (Deportivo La Coruna), Ander Iru (free, Logrones), Nico Serrano (PEC Zwolle), Unai Vencedor (loan, Eibar), Alex Petxarroman (free, Andorra), Juan Artola (loan, Alcorcon)
Summary so far: It was something of a surprise that Oier Zarraga was allowed out without a fee, being just 24 and capable of solid La Liga play, but he started just 9 games last season, and more minutes are unlikely to be available with the addition of Ruiz de Galarreta. He’s a nice addition in the midfield, who adds positioning and good ball circulation. He also ensures that Ernesto Valverde has four options in central midfield, presuming Oihan Sancet is playing further forward.
The Inigo Martinez exit got a little ugly, with the club and the player disputing whether he was offered a new deal publicly. His loss will not be felt massively one day to the next, as he was injured for much of the last campaign, but he was missed last season.
Athletic have four full-backs on the books, with the return of Imanol, but only Oscar de Marcos (34), Yuri Berchiche (33) and Inigo Lekue (30) have real La Liga experience. Valverde could do with blooding Imanol or looking deeper in the academy this season. Nico Williams has been renewed until 2025, and Sancet until 2032(!), which maintains two of their biggest threats. Those two contracts are their biggest business.
Anticipating more attacking struggles next season, you wonder if Valverde might look to make them more solid at the back, but truth be told you’d rather have de Marcos and Yuri streaming forward rather than tackling back.
Former Real Sociedad B striker Javier Marton scored a brace against Necaxa in preseason, which is perhaps the kindling to some excitement they have that striker. But any honest Athleticzale will admit that it is too early to draw any conclusions.
Key Need: Well, Gorka Guruzeta wasn’t bad, but he didn’t seem to convince as the number 9 enough in order to win the spot beyond doubt. It looks as if their best hope for solving their number 9 conundrum in the next two months may be to nurture him. They have recruited Real Sociedad B’s top scorer Javier Marton (12 goals in the third tier), and Asier Villalibre returns from loan for now. The fact that Raul Garcia’s deal has been renewed suggests that Los Leones are plum out of ideas, and truth be told, so are we. But centre-forward is their greatest need.
Beneath the surface: When Athletic allowed Unai Nunez out the door to Celta Vigo, it didn’t look like too much of an issue, but now with the departure of Martinez, they look a little shorter. Dani Vivian and Yeray Alvarez remains one of the best pairings in La Liga, and teenager Aitor Paredes looks like yet another promising centre-back from a land that produces plenty of them. However they are a little short if they get a bad injury. Athletic’s economy is a little more delicate than usual after losses in recent years, with no major sales to speak of. You can imagine, it may yet happen, they might be tempted to tempt David Garcia from Osasuna if cash was sloshing around the Kutxabank account.
Perhaps the most intriguing transfer story coming out of the Basque Country is the idea that they want to repatriate Aymeric Laporte. He could well leave Manchester City this summer, and Athletic are trying to persuade Laporte to come ‘home’.
