Darko Ristic will land today in Asturias. That is the forecast handled in recent hours by all the parties involved in what is already the most mediatic renewal process of a Sporting footballer in whom he knows how long. Djuka’s agent will face off with the executive of the Orlegi Group, and the sports area led by Gerardo García from Gijón. The objective is to settle all the fringes of a very complex operation, full of variables, told step by step by LA NUEVA ESPAÑA. Finish off the details. That is expected to be done in the talks these days. Then, stamp the signature, which could be extended throughout the week. “In the renewal, the player’s desire has weighed heavily: he is very happy at Gijón and at Sporting. Although his dream is to play in the First Division, he and his family are very adapted to the city and the club. It has been many months of uncertainty”, points out a former colleague of the footballer.
Ristic, with a reputation as a tough negotiator, with a strong character, difficult to detect, is one of the actors with the most entry from the Balkan countries; In Belgrade, the Serbian capital, are the offices of his company (International Sports Office), previously closely linked with LIAN Sports, of Fali Ramani, one of the most important agents in the world. He handles, among others, the affairs of Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic. At Fiorentina, the directors of the Italian club had a tug-of-war with Ristic, even sitting down with him to sign, and later asking for new conditions in the agreement. His lightning trip to Gijón, where Zoran Djurdjevic, father of the Atletico striker, with whom he has a close relationship, has been on vacation for weeks, is not one more element in conversations that began many months ago, with the previous owners, but rather the expected outcome in very long communications. “Darko is not one to waste time,” explains a collaborator of the Serbian representative. He was with Djuka when he was signed by Miguel Torrecilla for Sporting from Olympiacos in August 2018. He is not known for many more trips to Asturias. Weeks ago there was another summit, but that was in the Balkan country: Zoran and Uros Djurdjevic met with the agent to assess Djuka’s future and expose Javi Rico’s latest attempt. The man from Gijón made two proposals: one shortly after the winter market closed for two seasons (2025), and another, later, for one more year (2026). Although Djuka always had a good predisposition to listen, keeping a close relationship with Javier Fernández, one of his great guarantors when he went through important droughts, there was no response to these proposals. His environment had a feeling of weariness due to the failed departure to Rayo Vallecano, which reached an agreement in principle with Sporting.
Ristic was blunt: we do not renew; It’s time to find a way out to another more powerful club. Thus, he got going, pulled strings and found offers, one in Mexico, and another in a European league. His stance was unyielding, until recently. Orlegi put the non-transferable sign on him, and he has managed to present a convincing offer after doing financial engineering. The new owners drew up a roadmap to achieve long-term renewal with two options: renewal or exhaust the contract (2023).
The sale of the project icon has not been on the table. Gerardo García, and Andrés Conesa and Salomón Behar, from the sports area of Orlegi, got to work and did the numbers. Alejandro Irarragorri, Chairman of the Board of Directors, has played a very important role. Thus, between Monday and Tuesday, after many conversations, the third proposal was put on the table, the first of the new owners: a contract for five years, until 2027, full of clauses, which has the approval of the player and of Ristic.
