Aritz Elustondo Becomes a Free Agent as Contract with Real Sociedad Ends

As of this Thursday, Aritz Elustondo will officially be a free agent, able to sign with any club interested in acquiring his services. His contract with Real Sociedad expired on June 30, and to date, there has been no indication from the club regarding a contract extension. The 31-year-old from Beasain had previously expressed to MARCA his wish to retire with the club he has devoted his career to, but should Real Sociedad choose not to retain him, he will need to explore opportunities beyond San Sebastián.

Elustondo made his debut for Real Sociedad over 11 years ago on December 17, 2014, in a Copa del Rey match against Oviedo at Anoeta. In the following season, while still part of the reserve team, he played in 31 matches, starting in all but one. This success led to his promotion to the first team in the summer of 2016.

The defender, who can play both as a center-back and right-back, has consistently been utilized by various coaches. Although injuries have sometimes limited his playing time, under Imanol Alguacil, he played in 27, 28, 40, 36, 25, and 25 matches in successive seasons, recently achieving over 300 appearances for the club.

His most recent contract renewal was in March 2023, set to expire on June 30, 2026, and it has remained unchanged. This places him just six months away from concluding his tenure with Real Sociedad unless an extension is offered before the end of the current campaign.

Currently, Elustondo serves as one of the club’s captains, alongside Oyarzabal, Zubeldia, and Barrenetxea. He has participated in 10 of the 20 official matches played by Real Sociedad this season, starting in half of those. Club management will need to assess whether to propose a contract renewal or consider acquiring a new player or promoting promising talent Luken Beitia from the reserve team. There appears to be uncertainty regarding these options.