Sadiq Umar’s Disappointing Tenure at Real Sociedad

Sadiq Umar is poised to leave Real Sociedad, potentially marking one of the most significant transfer failures in the club’s history. The txuriurdin paid 20 million euros for him three and a half years ago, but he is now expected to return only around four million. During his time at the club, the Nigerian forward participated in merely 57 matches, scoring five goals. His performance has been heavily impacted by a serious injury sustained shortly after his arrival in San Sebastián. He joins the ranks of Luis García, Igor Cvitanovic, Víctor Bonilla, and Georgi Demetradze as part of a list of forwards who failed to meet expectations.

Umar joined Real Sociedad on the final day of the summer transfer window in 2022, following Alexander Isak’s transfer to Newcastle for 70 million euros. This deal, finalized on August 24, left the club in need of a replacement to compensate for the goals they had lost. In the week leading up to the transfer deadline, they managed to re-sign Alexander Sorloth on loan and opted to pay Almería 20 million euros for their forward.

His debut could not have been more promising; he came on as a substitute against Atlético de Madrid and scored the equalizer with a header just ten minutes into his appearance. However, the optimism surrounding Umar’s start quickly diminished. Just eight days later, during his third match against Getafe, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. When he returned nearly a year later, his form had drastically declined. He only managed to score three goals in 36 matches, and coach Imanol Alguacil ultimately lost faith in him, leading to a loan spell at Valencia midway through the previous season, where he performed better.

Valencia retained an option to purchase him for approximately 8 million euros, but they did not exercise it. Consequently, Real Sociedad rejected the possibility of another loan, which was the player’s preference, resulting in a conflict that left him without a jersey number for the upcoming season. This situation became a headache for coach Sergio Francisco, who had not included Umar in his plans over the summer due to fitness concerns. Nevertheless, he was forced to field him to explore any remaining market opportunities, which ultimately did not materialize.

It now appears that Umar is finally set to depart, having scored just five goals in 57 appearances, thus solidifying his status as one of the most frustrating forwards in the club’s history. Luis García was the first to earn this unfortunate distinction, lasting only half a season with ten appearances and no goals. Years later, Igor Cvitanovic was acquired for 500 million pesetas, but he only managed four goals in 37 matches over two seasons. His successor, Víctor Bonilla, also transferred for 500 million pesetas but made just 20 appearances with three goals, failing to complete even his first season.

Arif Erdem cost an astounding 800 million pesetas but struggled to adapt, returning after just two matches. The club later spent similar amounts on Georgi Demetradze, whose time at Real Sociedad saw him play 14 matches, scoring a solitary goal over a season and a half. While these previous players may have had even less success than Umar, his case has reminded fans of past disappointments that many had hoped were behind the club.