Villarreal snap up Argentine gem Thiago Fernández on free transfer
The Yellow Submarine have secured the signature of the talented 21-year-old from Vélez Sarsfield, who arrives after a lengthy injury layoff.
Villarreal have made their first move in the January transfer window, securing the signature of promising Argentine talent Thiago Fernández on a free transfer after his contract with Vélez Sarsfield expired.
Back from the sidelines
The 21-year-old arrives at La Ceramica after a lengthy spell on the treatment table, having been out of action for over 13 months. The talented midfielder suffered a nasty ACL tear in his right knee back in December 2022 during a match against Sarmiento, just as he was establishing himself as one of Argentina’s brightest prospects.
While Fernández received medical clearance last summer, his decision not to extend his contract with Vélez led to him being frozen out of the first-team picture and placed on a separate training regime. Now he’ll be looking to rebuild his match fitness with the Yellow Submarine.
Filling Solomon’s boots
Fernández is expected to take up the squad spot vacated by Manor Solomon, though there’s a possibility he might initially be registered with Villarreal’s B team to ensure he gets regular minutes as he works his way back to full fitness.
Interestingly, this isn’t a new target for Villarreal - they’ve had their eye on the lad for several seasons, but his serious injury in 2022 put any potential move on ice.
Vélez academy product
The Argentine comes with a solid pedigree, having emerged from Vélez’s renowned youth academy - one of the finest talent factories in Argentina. After making his professional debut in the 2021 Clausura tournament, Fernández truly burst onto the scene in 2022:
- Played a crucial role in Vélez winning the Liga Profesional championship
- Racked up 48 appearances for the club
- Contributed 6 goals and 9 assists
For Villarreal fans, they’ll be hoping Fernández can get back up to speed quickly and show why he was considered such a hot property before his injury setback. If he can recapture that form, they might have pulled off a right Bobby Dazzler of a free transfer.