Soriano defends Depor's winter window: 'We strengthened where needed'
Deportivo La Coruña's sporting director Fernando Soriano backs his transfer strategy while new signing Riki prepares to face former club Albacete.
Fernando Soriano expresses satisfaction with Deportivo’s winter transfer business, highlighting strategic reinforcements while maintaining faith in current attacking options.
Winter Window Wisdom
Deportivo La Coruña’s sporting director Fernando Soriano has come out swinging in defence of the club’s winter transfer activity. Speaking at new signing Riki’s presentation, Soriano made it crystal clear he’s chuffed with how things have panned out in the January market.
“We strengthened the areas of the team that needed it,” Soriano explained, pointing out that bolstering the forward line wasn’t top of his shopping list. The sporting director expressed full confidence in the current crop of strikers, suggesting their issues are more about clinical finishing than personnel.
It’s the bread and butter of any sporting director’s job to justify transfer decisions, and Soriano’s playing a blinder here - backing his summer strategy that apparently freed up the necessary funds for winter moves.
Riki Ready for Albacete Reunion
The Asturian midfielder didn’t come cheap, with Depor shelling out nearly €300,000 to secure his services. That’s a fair few readies for a Segunda División side, showing real intent from the Galician outfit.
The new boy has already been putting in the hard yards on the training pitch and will be available for selection against Albacete - coincidentally his former employers. Talk about narrative!
Riki himself confirmed he’s in decent nick physically despite some recent calf issues that kept him sidelined for about a week and a half. He’s clearly been chatting with gaffer Antonio Hidalgo about his old team, potentially giving Depor some inside knowledge for the upcoming fixture.
What It Means for Depor
Soriano’s comments reveal the classic sporting director’s mentality - absolute conviction in your recruitment decisions, even when fans might be questioning your choices. For Deportivo supporters, the proof will be in the pudding as they’ll be watching closely to see if these winter additions can help push the team up the table.
With Riki set to make his debut against his former side, it could be the perfect opportunity to immediately justify Soriano’s faith and transfer spend.