Real Sociedad make no striker signing, keep starters despite offers for Yangel and Kubo | OneFootball

Real Sociedad have closed an unusual window, signing no striker and retaining every first choice player. According to Diario Vasco, it is the first such summer since 2004, with the 2020 pandemic window considered an exception.

The club had offers for Yangel Herrera and Take Kubo but did not accept them. It sounded out the striker market and would have moved for one if Kubo had been sold. Keeping the starting XI intact is unprecedented in the past decade, aside from 2021.

In the shortened summer of 2020 no striker arrived either, amid severe financial strain across football due to coronavirus. The club then acted in January 2021, signing Carlos Fernández for 10 million euros.

Across other recent summers they usually added at least one forward, including Guedes in 2025, Óskarsson in 2024, André Silva in 2023, and Cho, Kubo and Sadiq in 2022. Earlier examples include Sorloth in 2021, Isak and Portu in 2019, and Willian José and Juanmi in 2016.

On exits this time, Brais, who had lost influence, joined Columbus Crew for six million euros. The club did not keep Caleta-Car on a permanent deal and allowed Aritz Elustondo and Wesley to leave.

Recent summers were defined by major departures. Zubimendi left in 2025 for 70 million euros, Le Normand and Merino fetched similar sums in 2024, Silva retired in 2023 after a cruciate injury, and Isak joined Newcastle in 2022 for 70 million. In 2020 Odegaard departed and Diego Llorente was sold to Leeds United for 21 million.

Source: Diario Vasco

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