Thiago Fernández, from Villarreal signing to express loan in Spain | OneFootball

The Thiago Fernández era at Villarreal will, for now, have a premature pause. Just 20 days after his official presentation, the Spanish club has decided to loan the Argentine forward so he can get more playing time and regain competitive rhythm for the remainder of the season.

Fernández’s destination will be Real Oviedo, a team currently at the bottom of La Liga and fighting to avoid relegation. The loan will last until June of this year and will not include a purchase option, in a decision made by mutual agreement with the aim of giving the player immediate playing time.

The Yellow Submarine had announced him in early January as a free signing, with a contract running until June 2031. However, his recent lack of playing time and the need to adapt to Spanish football tipped the balance toward a quick loan.

At the Asturian club, Fernández will share the squad with experienced players and a strong Argentine presence. Among them is the legendary Santi Cazorla, still active at 41, and his compatriots Santiago Colombatto and Nicolás Fonseca, the latter with a past at River and a recent arrival from Mexican football.

The forward arrives at Oviedo with a record of 48 official matches, six goals, and nine assists in the First Division, in addition to having been part of the Vélez team that won the 2024 Professional League. However, he has gone over a year without playing official minutes, a situation that was key in the decision to find him a new destination.

Thiago’s last period at Vélez was marked by conflicts. In December 2024, he suffered a ligament injury that kept him off the pitch for several months. When he was fit to return, his relationship with the management became strained after he expressed his intention not to renew his contract.

This stance led to him being separated from the first team and left without any chances to play. Before finalizing his move to Villarreal, the striker said goodbye to the club with a strong message on social media, in which he directly targeted the Board of Directors.

“Today I say goodbye, not entirely in the way I would have liked,” he wrote, and then harshly criticized the directors, whom he accused of mishandling negotiations and having harmed him during the renewal process.

Now, with a new scenario in Spain, Thiago Fernández will look to leave that chapter behind and feel like a footballer again. The loan to Real Oviedo appears as a key opportunity to relaunch his career and begin to justify Villarreal’s long-term investment in him.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.