The arrival of Nayef Aguerd at Real Sociedad falls apart in the final stretch

Real Sociedad

Thursday looked set to be the day of the official confirmation. The agreement between the parties was already in place and the signing was entering its final phase, but the club did not make the announcement, and what eventually came to light was the breakdown of the deal.

Two versions about the deal that fell through

The explanation is not a single one. In France, it is claimed that Aguerd himself decided to back out at the last minute, calling off an arrival that had seemed to be well on track. In San Sebastian, a different, unofficial reading is doing the rounds, suggesting that the defender would not have passed the medical check and that, for that reason, the Real Sociedad opted to rule out signing him.

The case sparked debate among part of the txuriurdin supporters even before it was resolved. Aguerd had been without competitive action for several months due to an injury he has had since March, a spell of inactivity close to five months that was going to shape his early steps if he had landed in the squad.

That situation would have prevented Pellegrino Matarazzo from having the centre-back available at the start of LaLiga. The schedule did not help either: the team faces five matchdays in just 16 days during the opening of the campaign.