Deportivo's Riki saga drags on as Albacete dig their heels in

Deportivo de La Coruña remain locked in a transfer tug-of-war with Albacete over midfielder Riki, with the saga showing no signs of resolution as the January window enters its final stages.

Priority Target Still in Limbo

The Galician club’s technical team have made no secret that strengthening their midfield creativity is the absolute priority this winter. Manager Antonio Hidalgo and sporting director Fernando Soriano are in complete agreement that Depor desperately need a proper number 8 to address their lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

Riki has already put pen to paper on a deal with Deportivo for next season, but the club are pushing hard to bring him in immediately rather than waiting until summer. It’s a proper game of cat and mouse, this one.

Albacete Playing Hardball

The La Mancha outfit aren’t exactly buzzing about losing a key cog in their machine mid-season, which is perfectly understandable. However, mounting pressure from both Deportivo and the player himself has put Alberto González’s side in a right pickle.

All signs point to Riki potentially missing his third consecutive match for Albacete if the deal isn’t wrapped up before the weekend - a telling indication of where things stand behind the scenes.

Rubén López Attracting Interest

In other Deportivo transfer news, young talent Rubén López has caught the eye of Real Zaragoza, who are the latest club to express interest in taking the player on loan.

Hidalgo didn’t mince his words about the situation, stating: “Rubén needs minutes and I’ve spoken with him about that.”

Zaragoza aren’t the only ones sniffing around, with Primera RFEF sides Pontevedra, Sabadell, and Lugo also potential destinations for the youngster to gain valuable playing time.

The clock’s ticking on both deals as we enter the business end of the transfer window. Deportivo fans will be hoping they don’t end up with egg on their boat race if these moves fall through.