Real Betis Concludes Winter Transfer Window with Álvaro Fidalgo Signing

Real Betis has officially concluded its winter transfer market activities with a single acquisition: Álvaro Fidalgo, a 28-year-old Spanish midfielder, has joined the club from América in Mexico. Fidalgo has signed a contract for four and a half seasons and will be presented to the media tomorrow, Tuesday, at 18:00 in the lounge area of the Ciudad Deportiva Luis del Sol.

With all first-team roster spots filled and no salary cap flexibility, the only possibility for the club’s sporting director, Manu Fajardo, to make additional signings late in the transfer window hinged on offloading a player. However, no potential departures materialized on Monday, prompting Betis to close its operations and direct its focus toward the sporting objectives ahead.

Cédric Bakambu was the player with the most potential to leave. Clubs including Oviedo, Alavés, Mallorca, Genoa, and various teams from Saudi Arabia expressed interest in his services in recent days. Nevertheless, due to personal reasons, the Congolese striker opted to remain with the club and fulfill his contract, which expires on June 30. Additionally, Chimy Ávila, who attracted interest from Getafe and Boca Juniors throughout January, has regained prominence during the injury absence of Cucho Hernández.

In the closing days and hours of the transfer window, several clubs reached out to Betis to inquire about the availability of other players. West Ham showed interest in Natan, while Besiktas and Galatasaray inquired about Nelson Deossa. Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig also revisited discussions regarding Sergi Altimira. However, none of these transactions came to fruition, ensuring that all players remain with the squad at least until the summer, when significant moves are expected to bolster the left-back, pivot, and forward positions.

Looking ahead, Betis is preparing for the upcoming Copa del Rey match on Thursday against Atlético de Madrid at La Cartuja, aiming for a spot in the semifinals of the tournament. Concurrently, an internal discussion will begin regarding the registration list for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, necessitating the removal of a player from the squad registered in September should the club wish to include the new signing Fidalgo. With Valles, Adrián, and Junior meeting the homegrown player criteria, the club is allowed to register 24 players on List A (Ortiz and Pablo García will continue to be listed on List B as academy graduates).