Álvaro Marín’s Celta Fortuna surge keeps Athletic buy-back on the table | OneFootball

Álvaro Marín, 23, is thriving at Celta Fortuna after leaving Lezama, scoring 10 last season in a historic first promotion and hitting two in a 4-2 win over Andorra. According to El Correo, Athletic safeguarded his departure with a buy-back, first-refusal, sell-on and performance-related clauses.

Celta completed the deal on 25 July 2025, tying the forward to 2029 and keeping him on Bilbao’s radar.

Marín joined Athletic in 2021 from Cirbonero despite interest from Osasuna and Zaragoza, struck 15 across Juvenil A and Basconia, then six the following season.

Promoted in 2023 then loaned to Helmond Sport, he lost two months to an ankle injury but finished as a starter with five goals, though Athletic rejected Helmond’s wish to retain him.

A spell at Amorebieta in Primera Federación followed. They went down, but he netted eight despite bench time under Natxo González, eighth for minutes per goal at one every 158, a table led by Gonzalo, now at Fulham.

Sevilla Atlético and Villarreal B pursued him but balked at Athletic’s conditions, and Barcelona B appeared late. Marín had already given his word to Celta.

At 1.87 metres he offers pace, power and two-footed finishing, and coach Patxi Salinas highlights his goalscoring and questioned Athletic’s choice to release rather than loan him.

This summer he attracted offers from top-flight clubs in Portugal, Greece and Poland and from Burgos. Celta have improved his terms and intend to keep him, and at 23 he cannot step up to the first team then return to the reserves.

Source: El Correo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”