Feyenoord lead race for Javi López on loan with option | OneFootball

Feyenoord are pushing to sign Real Sociedad left-back Javi López, with the Dutch club currently best placed for a loan with an option to buy. According to Diario Vasco, talks could intensify in the coming days as last season’s Eredivisie runners-up seek an attack-minded full-back for domestic duty and the Champions League.

Sporting de Portugal also have the 24-year-old on their list and, in their case, would consider a permanent transfer, with his market value put at 5 million euros. Sevilla and Alavés have also made enquiries, underlining his continued appeal in La Liga.

La Real signed López in summer 2024 after an excellent campaign at Deportivo Alavés, paying 6.5 million euros. He struggled to reproduce that level at Anoeta in his first year and has since acknowledged in a recent interview that adapting proved difficult.

He spent last season on loan at Real Oviedo and came close to leaving permanently for Betis after an initial agreement between clubs. The move collapsed because Betis could not offload Swiss international left-back Ricardo Rodríguez, whose salary was high, despite advanced talks.

Oviedo endured a turbulent year marked by frequent coaching changes, and López’s minutes fluctuated. He faced strong competition from Rahim, suffered a muscle injury, and finished with 25 league appearances plus one in the cup, close to 1,800 minutes. The team tailed off early, tensions rose at the Carlos Tartiere and they were relegated to the Liga Hypermotion.

With Oviedo down and a contract until 2030, López returned to work under Pellegrino Matarazzo, who wanted to assess him in training and pre-season matches. He has featured regularly this summer, including the second half against Cologne on Friday and a brief outing the following day that included a neat nutmeg. The coming days will show whether the Dutch club accelerate to close a deal.

Source: Diario Vasco

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