The Perico fanbase faces the upcoming transfer window with a mix of excitement and caution after a season marked by tension and the need to secure their place in the elite of Spanish football. Espanyol, accustomed to reinventing itself at key moments, is preparing moves that could shape the club's immediate future in LaLiga. Behind the scenes, the sporting management hasn't stopped working to strengthen the squad and make a qualitative leap in the forward line, one of the areas where the highest expectations are set.
Espanyol is coming off a season in which the fight for survival has been a constant. The club didn't secure it until the final matchday. The Catalan club had to make an effort until the very last moment to seal its continuity in the top division. The suffering became a stimulus and, once survival was assured, the organization has set to work to tackle the sporting planning for the upcoming season.
In recent weeks, the focus has been on the attacking area, where the lack of goals has caused more than one headache for the coaches and the fans. Moreover, Javi Puado's future is still uncertain and the rest of the strikers are on loan.
A strategic move in the forward line
According to journalist Matteo Moretto through his official Twitter account, Espanyol has finalized the signing of Kike García, an operation carried out in silence and which depended on remaining in Primera División to come to light. The agreement, signed weeks ago, was subject to the club achieving the much-desired survival, a detail that demonstrates the importance of institutional stability in attracting top-level players.
The signing was completed with some speed and without any of the usual problems that tend to arise when Fran Garagarza tries to close a deal. Kike García's contract with Deportivo Alavés is ending and, therefore, his arrival doesn't entail any cost for the Perico organization. Wearing the blue and white, then, will be one of the most charismatic and talented strikers in Spanish football.
This season, at 35 years old, he has scored 13 goals in LaLiga, more than any RCD Espanyol forward. His experience can help the Pericos overcome difficult moments. In any case, it's an outstanding addition for Espanyol, which now has a man with an enviable goal-scoring instinct, with innate talent to succeed inside the box.