The winner joins the Athletic group despite their imminent departure

Athletic Bilbao held a training session at Lezama on Wednesday with a new development: the inclusion of Unai Vencedor in the group led by Edin Terzic. The 25-year-old midfielder, from Santutxu, had known for weeks that his future would not be with the Lions, despite having one year left on his contract. However, he had not yet joined the rest of the team during the early pre-season sessions, following a separate training plan while awaiting a swift departure. Like other players in the final year of their contracts, he had to wait before being able to train alongside his teammates.

  Several offers in the Segunda División have been made to Unai Vencedor, but no final destination has been confirmed yet. The Basque club, aware of the current challenges in the transfer market, will need to negotiate a contract termination with the player. In the meantime, the midfielder has joined the squad for the final week of friendly matches, ahead of Friday’s trip to Bergamo to face Atalanta. This integration marks a turning point in a situation that has dragged on since the start of the summer.   Unai Vencedor is not the only player in this position. Right-back Yeray Gorosabel, whose contract runs until 2027—one year longer than Vencedor’s—is also among the players whose futures are uncertain. Gorosabel is a prime candidate to join Osasuna, where Braulio, the club’s sporting director, has just finalized the arrival of Diego Rico to strengthen the left flank. The Navarrese club continues to bolster its squad for the upcoming season. This situation highlights the challenges clubs face during the post-World Cup transfer window, where negotiations can be complex and contract terminations necessary to release players at the end of their cycles.