Athletic started the last preseason with Iñigo Martínez, Unai Nuñez, Yeray, Vivian and Paredes as central theorists. Nolaskain and even Prados were also under Valverde’s orders in the first pre-season of his third spell on the Bilbao bench. The rear axle is very well covered, as the previous managers of Lezama said.
The panorama begins to get complicated with the lions who are in the preparation phase. Athletic and Celta initially signed a strange contract that led to Nuñez leaving Vigo. Iñigo Martínez’s departure from Barça prompted the start of one of that summer’s soap operas 2023 days later. The international central defender, to make matters worse, first injured his knee and suffered plantar fasciitis which prevented him from playing less than he would have if Valverde had wanted.
Now, three days after the start of the league; Athletic’s defense was reduced to its axis with Yeray, who missed the last friendlies due to injury, Vivian, Paredes, Nolaskoain and even Beñat Prados. The name of Laporte, more after the last signing of Guardiola for the back of his team (the Croatian Gvardiol, to whom they paid about 100 million euros), is around the orbit of Athletic. The player already knows that the Bilbao club is interested, but there are no movements in this regard.
The now Spanish international still has two years left on his contract at City and the summer transfer market does not conclude until the end of the month. His name sounded in the orbit of several clubs, including two from Saudi Arabia football, but until yesterday at least he did not receive any concrete formal offer.
Laporte, for whom City paid 65 million of his Athletic clause in the winter market of 2018, is a footballer of experience, quality and high cachet. Therefore, now, more than a dream, it is a chimera for a club like rojiblanco. The club since his departure has never qualified for Europe again.
Pending events, everything indicates that Valverde will have to start and certainly continue the season with the central defenders currently at his command. In football, however, nothing can be taken for granted or decided in advance.
Two clean sheets
Although the importance of a preseason is always relative, the fact is that Athletic have only won one match out of six in this preparatory phase and to keep their goal in two of the six friendlies played.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
