Off the back of a successful season with Real Sociedad, during which he helped them secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 10 years, it was expected that Alexander Sorloth would join the Basque club on a permanent basis, having spent the previous two campaigns on loan from RB Leipzig.
However, it proved not to be the case, and Sorloth would end up joining Villarreal on a long-term contract, which surprised many at the time. Speaking to Norwegian podcast LaLigaLoca (via Estadio Deportivo), he revealed how the move to the Yellow Submarine came around.
“The first contact was in April, if I remember correctly, because they were probably going to sell Nicolas Jackson. He was leaving, and I also spoke to La Real about a new contract. We negotiated with both clubs, but we didn’t reach an agreement with La Real.
“Villarreal were clear about what they wanted. They said, ‘We’re going to sell Jackson and then we’ll sign you.’ They also sold Chukwueze, and the day they sold him was like a boom. We had to get on the plane, they reached an agreement with RB Leipzig and the deal was closed. They were very clear. In football people promise a lot, but this time it went totally according to plan, which I liked him a lot.”
Despite being impressed by Villarreal’s dealings, Sorloth admitted that La Real was his first choice.
“If La Real had come up with a concrete offer, I probably would have stayed there. I really enjoyed my time there.
“I felt more wanted by La Real, but I had a strange feeling with how long the negotiations took. I’ve been there for two years and, although the first season wasn’t that good, the second season was much better. I thought, ‘it’s weird if they’re not sure about my performances now’. I came to the conclusion that it was dragging on and it seemed like maybe there were disagreements within the club. Maybe not everyone wanted me there, but I knew that Imanol Alguacil did want me. He said it himself in our conversations, but the impression was one of uncertainty. So I went to Villarreal.”
Sorloth has been in good form this season, despite Villarreal’s struggles. In this regard, Real Sociedad could well be regretting their decision not to sign him on a permanent basis.
