Athletic hit hard as Nerea Nevado and Maite Zubieta leave club | OneFootball

Athletic have suffered a major setback as Nerea Nevado and Maite Zubieta leave after rejecting new deals. The club said in a statement that both had declined renewals, while Marta Sanadri will also depart after finishing the season on loan at Alavés.

Nevado and Zubieta were omitted on the final day against Alhama, intensifying talk of exits. There has been speculation they could move abroad, including English and Italian Champions League clubs, while in Liga F Real Madrid are viewed as best placed to sign one.

Nevado, 25, joined the academy in 2016/17 and debuted in 2018 after two seasons with the B team. She spent 2021/22 on loan at Alavés, then returned to establish herself on the left. The Santurtzi full-back made 142 appearances, scored nine goals and won the under-17 World Cup with Spain in Uruguay 2018.

Zubieta, 22, rose through Lezama and debuted in 2022/23, going on to play 103 times and score three. A midfielder with four senior Spain caps, she featured at last summer's Euros but has missed recent call-ups amid fierce competition. Her youth honours include the European under-20 in the Czech Republic and the under-20 World Cup in Costa Rica in 2022, plus the under-19 Euros in Belgium in 2023.

Sanadri leaves after three seasons, having played 36 matches and scored two. She featured in 22 games in her debut year, then spent the past two campaigns on loan at Alavés, helping them win promotion to Liga F this season.

Source: El Correo