RCD Espanyol has learned the lesson. After securing their place in LaLiga EA Sports on the final matchday, Manolo González's team doesn't want to go through such an agonizing season again. For this reason, the sporting management has stepped on the gas in the summer transfer market and is close to finalizing their tenth signing.
A physical pivot to stabilize the midfield
The coach from Lugo had made strengthening the center of the midfield a priority. This Congolese international, born in Switzerland, has been chosen. At 28 years old, the midfielder arrives after a great campaign with Italian side Cremonese, where he was essential for their promotion to Serie A.
Since his arrival in Italian soccer in 2022, Pickel has played 108 matches, scoring 8 goals and providing 3 assists. With experience, physicality, and a very clear defensive profile, he is shaping up to be a key piece in bringing balance to the new Espanyol.
A strategic low-cost signing
According to journalist Matteo Moretto, a market specialist, Espanyol already has the player secured, for whom they will pay €1.1 million ($1.1 million) fixed plus €400,000 ($400,000) in variables. An amount much lower than the €3.8 million ($3.8 million) that Cremonese paid for him to Portuguese side Famalicão just two years ago.
The blue and white club sees in this player a market opportunity who can perform from day one. The signing is part of a prudent but ambitious rebuilding policy. Manolo González wants a short squad but with guarantees, where each player knows their role and can adapt to various systems.
Tenth addition of the summer
Espanyol would reach their tenth addition of the summer. The sporting management has acted quickly and wisely to strengthen all lines, without making the mistakes of previous planning. The club has signed goalkeepers, defenders, wingers, and forwards, and now bolsters the midfield with a player who can take on responsibility.
The locker room needed new voices and this player could become one of the group's silent leaders. For his experience, character, and performance, Espanyol trust the Congolese to be a key figure in the quality leap the team needs.
A fanbase that demands more
Last season left a bitter taste for the Perico faithful. The team saved their place in the division at the last moment, but the suffering was unnecessary and the play often left doubts. Aware of this, the club has worked to change their image and give the coach the tools so the team can truly compete.
Pickel is the type of player who not only contributes on the field, but also spreads intensity, tactical discipline, and sacrifice. In addition, his versatility—he can play as a pivot, inside midfielder, or even as a center-back in a back three—gives Manolo González a very useful wildcard in key moments.
Steady step toward a new Espanyol
It is clear that Espanyol doesn't want to repeat last season's drama. With Manolo González renewed and backed, with signings like Charles Pickel, the club is taking a step forward to build a solid, competitive, and confident squad. Survival is no longer enough: now it's time to look up.