Thiago Fernández, La Fábrica graduate, becomes Villarreal’s first winter signing | OneFootball

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, Villarreal have made Thiago Fernández their first winter signing, the winger having shone for Vélez Sarsfield in 2024 as league champions.

A product of La Fábrica in Liniers, Vélez’s academy has recently produced Thiago Almada, Gianluca Prestianni and Valentín Gómez.

Thiago Cruz Fernández, born in Buenos Aires on 3 April 2004, is a right footed attacker who operates inverted on the left. He has also featured inside and at wing back. He debuted in the top flight in 2023 aged 19.

In 2024 he became pivotal to the title run, finishing as the league’s second top provider with 6 assists in 25 matches and 5 goals. He ended the year on 6 goals and 9 assists from 42 games.

His season ended with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his right knee on 1 December 2024, in the antepenultimate round. He faced an eight-month lay-off, and plans to move to Europe were interrupted despite strong interest.

Available from early August 2025 with five months left on a deal to 31 December 2025, he informed Vélez via his agency that he would not renew. The club then announced he was removed from the first-team group and placed on a separate training regime.

An agreement last summer set up his free transfer to Villarreal. After 13 months without an official match, he now aims to regain rhythm and compete. His calling cards are pace, one-v-one threat, acceleration, explosiveness and sharp changes of tempo.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo