Mikel Oyarzabal responds to Barcelona transfer speculation | OneFootball

FC Barcelona lost an important member of their team at the end of the last season when Robert Lewandowski left the club after completing his contract. He said his farewell to the fans at the Spotify Camp Nou and recently completed his transfer to the MLS side Chicago Fire.

Meanwhile, the Catalans are still working to bring his replacement, and their primary candidate for this purpose is the Argentine forward Julian Alvarez. However, as they have aptly experienced so far, signing him is not going to be easy for the Blaugranes, mainly because his current club, Atletico Madrid, see him as a key part of their team, and they have no intentions of strengthening a direct rivals with such a transfer.

As a result, Barcelona have also been keeping a list of alternatives at hand, and one candidate they have been linked with for such a role is the Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who is currently in North America representing Spain in the World Cup 2026.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Spaniard appeared in an interview with Cope’s El Partidazo program some days ahead of his side’s Round of 16 clash against Portugal, and one of the topics he addressed in this interview was his links with the Blaugrana club.

However, he was quite clear that he is happy at his current club, and thus categorically closed down the possibility of a transfer this summer. His response was as follows:

“I’ve already said that I’m very happy at Real Sociedad. For me, it’s been home, it’s been a family, and they’ve stood by me, especially during the toughest moments, when I was at my lowest. Thanks to Real Sociedad, I’m here today. There’s not much more to say.”

There is no doubt that with his experience, skills, and good relationship with several Barcelona players with whom he shares the dressing room with the Spanish national team, Mikel Oyarzabal would have been a very interesting candidate to replace Lewandowski. However, this avenue seems to be closed for now, as he is particularly clear about his future, which seemingly lies at Real Sociedad.