Xabier Etxeita He is one of the footballers that Sporting has asked about to reinforce the defense. The Basque center-back, who will turn 35 in October, ends his contract with Eibar and his future is not clear if he continues to be linked to Ipurúa. The Biscayan is studying offers and was already on the agenda of the Gijon team in the past, specifically during Abelardo’s previous stage on the rojiblanco bench. Róber Ibáñez He is another of the footballers for whom Sporting has shown interest in recent days. The Valencian, 29, returns to Osasuna, after his transfer to Leganés, and does not enter into the Navarrese’s plans.
Sporting has made a consultation about the situation of Xabier Etxeita, without reaching, so far, an offer for his hiring. His profile pleases Mareo and comes to underline what is being sought for a position in which Abelardo intends to mix youth and experience. The renewal of Borja López continues, with a counteroffer transferred by the man from Gijón a few days ago without, for the moment, a response. Interest in the return of Juan Berrocal, for whom the club is willing to renew its bet, also remains alive.
As for Róber Ibáñez, his profile would add competition mainly to the right-handed winger. He was left out of Arrasate’s plans in the first round, so he ended up at Leganés, on loan, in the last winter market. There he has played 16 games, being a starter in half of them. He has one more year on his contract with Osasuna.
As for Etxeita, he meets the dose of leadership and experience that is intended to be added to the rojiblanca squad, in addition to being a footballer who would arrive with the letter of freedom, at the end of his relationship with Eibar. Forceful and with a good aerial game, in his last campaign in the gunsmith he played 17 games, being a starter in 12 of them, most during the first round. He is an alternative among the list of candidates for the center of defense, with several players with whom the club has been in contact in recent weeks. Another one he likes a lot is Bernardo, but he is now practically impossible. The Colombian is in full promotion dispute with Girona, where he is captain and one of the references of the project.
The group from Gijón has already found the refusal of several of its first options for defense in these initial stages of the market. They have been the cases of Oier Sanjurjo, who also valued the possibility that he alternated both the center of the field and the axis of defense. The Navarrese finally opted for the Cypriot AEK Larnaca, thus fulfilling his desire to close his career with experience in foreign football. He had a lot to do with the arrival of Jose Luis Oltra as a technician for the Cypriots.
The one that is also definitely ruled out is queen rivers, the last to communicate that he shelved Sporting’s proposal. His future points to another Second Division team, with the question of whether or not Tenerife will achieve promotion to the First Division. At the moment, everything is open in terms of reinforcements and renovations, with Javier Rico y Fran Rico working on trying to close as soon as possible the first of the ten signings that are expected in Mareo. While the club is working with an eye on the open sale process with the Orlegi Group, the idea is that a good number of Sporting B footballers make the leap to the first team until doubts are cleared up with the actions and the hirings.
