Real Sociedad turns the page with two departures

Real Sociedad

The Real Sociedad has already started moving pieces for next season and this Monday confirmed two decisions that had been quite expected for weeks: it will not exercise the purchase options for Duje Caleta-Car nor for Wesley Gassova.

Both arrived on loan, both landed in very different contexts and both leave with a completely opposite feeling. Because while Caleta-Car, with mistakes and ups and downs, at least managed to have weight within the team, Wesley practically went unnoticed in San Sebastián.

116

Caleta-Car
2.230.000€    -

J1

DF

01

Caleta-Car: a physical, aggressive center-back with some very good days… and others quite less reliable. The case of the Croatian center-back will surely be one of those debates left by the season. There will be fans who remember matches where he almost single-handedly held up the team and others where he constantly transmitted insecurity.

He ended up playing 32 official matches and was a starter in 29. That, in a squad that has seen many rotations and defensive changes, is not exactly a small matter.

His football always leaned more towards physical impact than elegance. A powerful center-back, strong in the air, aggressive in duels and quite comfortable defending close to his own area. When Real needed to protect themselves and play tighter matches, he fit better. The problem appeared when the team had to defend far from goal or move the ball precisely from the back.

He is not a particularly fast defender when covering large spaces nor a refined center-back when he has to take on too much responsibility with the ball. Even so, Pellegrino Matarazzo ended up using him a lot because, amid the defensive chaos the team went through for months, he offered something others did not: presence and decisiveness.

Real had a purchase option of 3.5 million euros. A relatively affordable figure for a player with international experience, but the club has decided not to take that step. The feeling is that they are looking for a different profile to accompany the team’s new stage.

9

Wesley
450.000€    -

J1

MD

00

Wesley Gassova: speed, dribbling... and almost no opportunity. The Brazilian arrived in winter as a gamble to cover Takefusa Kubo’s injury, but between technical decisions, lack of adaptation, and very little trust, his time at Real has been virtually invisible.

85 minutes. That is the real summary of his adventure in San Sebastián.

Wesley is not a winger who slows the game down or controls matches. He is a change of pace. A player with quick bursts, one-on-one ability and aggressive dribbling. One of those players who constantly tries to face opponents even if they fail several times in a row.

But he never really got into the team’s competitive rhythm. It seems that Matarazzo never saw him tactically ready for what the system required. In defense he struggled to interpret cover and off the ball he was often seen lost.

Real had a purchase option of 12 million and there was not even a serious debate about exercising it.

The squad starts to move

43

Aritz Elustondo
370.000€    5

J1

DF

10

The departure of both adds to the already confirmed exit of Aritz Elustondo. Three open slots even before the market officially starts.

Now comes one of the decisions that most defines Real every summer: rely on the academy or go to the market. In Zubieta there are players ready to take steps forward, but there is also the feeling that the team needs something more competitive in certain positions if it wants to consistently fight at the top again.

The first names already linked to the club are Diogo Leite and Emersonn Correia.

Diogo Leite would fit much more into the defensive idea that Real seems to be looking for now: a left-footed center-back, more dynamic, with better ball distribution and the ability to play many meters ahead.

Emersonn, on the other hand, is a more physical and vertical attacker, intended to add depth and aggressiveness upfront.

The feeling inside the club is clear: after a historic season with the Copa del Rey, it’s time to remodel some pieces to prevent the team from becoming stagnant.