As ARA has learned, Darder turned down siren calls from some powerful clubs in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and even Saudi Arabia. Atlético de Madrid, Villarreal, Sevilla and Valencia talked to the player’s surroundings to take an interest in his situation. All of them forwarded quite considerable financial proposals to him. None of these clubs, however, came to send a formal offer to Espanyol, as their intention was to be able to incorporate Darder as a free agent from the summer of 2023.
The Mallorcan, who always prioritized staying at Espanyol, earned himself some time to think, but once he saw the sporting direction the new white-and-blue project was taking, led by Domingo Catoira and Diego Martínez, agreed to follow. The Spanish club, in addition to giving him the armband as first captain, made him one of the best paid players in the squad. Espanyol’s financial offer was lower or, at best, similar to those that had been transferred to him by other clubs throughout the summer. Darder’s priority, however, was not money. Beyond feeling valued, he wanted a sports project with a face and eyes, which was ambitious and in line with his idea of a team. The leitmotif “the star is the team” – as opposed to the privileges enjoyed by some players in previous seasons – was one of the arguments that helped to seduce him to renew. A gesture that ended up seducing a devoted fan: the Darterism it is a religion that brings together even the most agnostic parakeet followers.
Match Kameni matches
Darder leads by example, acting as a leader on and off the pitch and showing his commitment by taking risks with his physique. The brain of Espanyol is the third player in the squad with the most minutes played (he has only lost 24 in the League), despite the fact that for several weeks he has been suffering physical discomfort resulting from a problem with the sole that would have stopped other players . Diego Martínez himself, in fact, has admitted in more than one press conference that he did not have them all with him. Darder was close to missing the appointment at Martínez Valero, where he had to limit his efforts, but he pushed to play the match, aware of its importance.
Not only was the Mallorcan not substituted, but he had the strength to score, in the 92nd minute, the goal that gave the victory against Elche. With this, he already has five goals this season and is one step away from equaling his best goalscoring record: the six goals in the season of the return to Primera (2020-21). Since returning to Espanyol, Darder has scored 23 goals and 23 assists in 229 games. This Saturday (2 p.m., GOL), against Mallorca, he will surpass Kameni and become the 26th player with the most games in the history of the white-and-blue club. If he plays the remaining 16 games this season, he will surpass some former teammates such as Sergio García (231) and David López (237). And if he ends up extending his stay at the club beyond the current contract – he will be 32 years old in 2026 – he could still qualify for the podium of players with the most games in the club’s history: José María García (343), Antoni Argilés ( 357) and Raúl Tamudo (389). A list of illustrious white-and-blue legends await Darder with open arms.
