Athletic Club Signs Unai Egiluz Amid Ongoing Defensive Challenges

Athletic Club has made its anticipated single signing in the current winter transfer window by registering defender Unai Egiluz, 23 years old. Egiluz, who had not received a squad number prior to this signing due to a knee injury sustained during pre-season, underwent surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament on August 6. He will wear the number 13 jersey for the remainder of the campaign.

However, Egiluz’s acquisition does not alleviate the team’s defensive concerns, as he is expected to be unavailable until March or April. His rehabilitation is progressing well, but he still requires additional time to fully recover. A strong conclusion to his rehabilitation, which currently does not include group training sessions, may enable him to be available for coach Valverde in the latter part of the season. In contrast, Prados, who sustained a similar injury a month later and underwent surgery on September 23, faces significantly slimmer chances of returning to play this season.

Last season, Egiluz was on loan at Mirandés, where he made 33 appearances and participated in the promotion playoffs to La Liga. Athletic Club initially chose not to exercise its option to retain him and allowed him to explore other opportunities. However, following UEFA’s notification regarding a disciplinary investigation involving Yeray due to a positive test, the club revised its strategy, resulting in the signing of Egiluz with a contract extending until 2028, alongside the signing of Laporte.