Espanyol captain Sergi Darder remains one of the potential steals of the transfer window in Spain, but no side has pushed the boat out sufficiently so far it seems.
The 29-year-old reportedly has a release clause of just €10m until the 1st of August, and can leave on loan if another La Liga side matches his wages.
Almeria have been one of the main candidates amongst many for Darder’s signature, with Vicente Moreno keen to reunite with his former star, whom he coached two seasons ago at the RCDE Stadium.
Real Mallorca are the second side who have taken the plunge, although their offer is considered low according to Relevo. Darder is from the island of Mallorca, and it would be a chance to play at home for the first time in his professional career.
After the departure of Kang-In Lee to Paris Saint-Germain, they are keen to reinvest some of their €22m in Darder, who would become their star midfielder. Although Darder generally operates deeper than Kang-In, it is understandable they might want to make use of Darder’s creative streak.
Darder dragged Espanyol through a number of games in the last two seasons, and it is no exaggeration to say that he was one of the best in the division last season. Perhaps only the top four from last season would not place Darder straight into their line-ups, and even then he would make their squads far better.
