The future of Jesús Areso: Osasuna, Athletic Club or Atlético de Madrid

Jesús Areso continues to be a constant topic on the front page news in Pamplona. Osasuna started negotiations months ago to try to renegotiate with the full-back, whose contract ends in 2026, but there have been no significant advances. The club has presented two offers to him and has already made it clear that it cannot improve on the last one, which would position him at one of the highest levels of the red salary scale.

There are two teams interested in signing him: Athletic Club and Atlético de Madrid. The initial idea was to wait until 2026 to sign him for free, but now they are considering paying the ?12 million clause. Bilbao has taken the lead, as for Atlético, it is not a priority signing, although Simeone likes his profile. The full-back position at the Metropolitano is unbalanced, to the point that Marcos Llorente, more of a midfielder than a full-back, usually occupies it. Simeone has asked for a reinforcement for that position and Areso fits in terms of price and his growth in the last year.

On the other hand, Valverde has already made it clear that he needs to strengthen that position to compete in the Champions League next season, since with Gorosabel, plus whatever the young Rincón can contribute, or the versatility of Lekue, if he stays, he does not see the guarantees he desires.