Betis Prepares for Winter Transfer Market with Strategic Focus

The winter transfer market is set to open soon, and clubs are positioning themselves to reinforce their squads for the crucial second half of the season. For Betis, the roadmap is clear. The primary objective is to secure a forward, but the first step involves facilitating player exits before any new acquisitions.

In a press conference following the match against Getafe, which was the last before the break, Manuel Pellegrini commented: “For someone to arrive, someone must leave; we need to assess who can depart without weakening our squad. The team is well-balanced to continue rising in the competitions, and we will see what unfolds in January—there are always surprises, and hopefully, they will be beneficial.”

One player Betis is looking to offload is Chimy Ávila, who was close to departing for Mexico last August and has been offered to Getafe as well as several clubs in Mexico and Argentina. Another player in the spotlight is Bakambu, who ended a goal drought by scoring against Senegal in the second match of Group D at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Congolese forward is set to see his contract expire in June. These departures would create the necessary space for signing the much-needed number 9.

Moving forward, the market will dictate the pace if any unexpected and significant offers arise for players, although this is not the club’s primary intention. Additionally, reinforcing the left-back position is not a priority, even though Ricardo Rodríguez’s contract also ends in June; that signing is planned for the summer. The injury to Isco, requiring him to undergo surgery again on Monday, complicates matters further, making it difficult to consider any proposals for Lo Celso.