De Marcos, Galarreta and Yuri are Valverde’s three regular starters who will end their contracts as lions on June 30. Apart from them and the rojiblanco coach himself, there are three other Athletic players in the same situation: Ander Herrera , Vesga and Unai Nuñez.
Ander Herrera, who after completing his two years as a lion on his return from PSG signed for another season last summer, is having less participation than expected. The Bilbao native played 359 minutes in thirteen games, only two of them as a starter.
Iñigo Lekue is also having less prominence than expected so far this campaign. The versatile Deusto player is yet to reach 400 minutes of competition so far. His 385 minutes played were spread over eight games, four of them as a starter. Both Gorosabel, on the right, and Adama, on the left, have relinquished their role as full-backs before De Marcos and Yuri become starters.
Unai Nuñez was the last lion to end his contract with Athletic on June 30, although in his case his return to Lezama in the summer was in the form of a loan from Celta with a non-obligatory purchase option. So far, the centre-back has played 280 minutes of competition in four games, three as a starter.
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.
