Athletic Club have struggled to make their weight felt in the European race in recent years, and they may have to rebuild their squad in the next two seasons too. According to Relevo, 17 players are out of contract by 2024, with little sign of negotiations being accelerated.
The three major cases on the minds of Athletic and President Jon Uriarte are Ingio Martinez, Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams. Los Leones want Martinez to renew but his deal is up at the end of the season, and he appears set on a departure.
Meanwhile Williams and Sancet, the two emerging stars of the current side, are seen as strategic renewals for the coming years. There have been meetings with Sancet, with progress being made on a new deal, but not with Williams. It looks as if those negotiations could take some time, with both out of contract in 2024.
Captain Oscar de Marcos, Mikel Balenziaga, Inigo Lekue, Raul Garcia and Oier Zarraga are all out of contract this summer. Veteran de Marcos will decide whether to continue for another year or retire, but remains the starting right-back. Outside of Zarraga, all four could be seen as expendable veteran options.
In 2024, a further 11 players are out of contract, including some key figures; Iker Muniain, Alex Berenguer, Mikel Vesga, Yuri Berchiche, Ander Capa, Ander Herrera, Dani Garcia, Gorka Guruzeta and Jon Morcillo, as well as the aforementioned Williams and Sancet.
Director General Jon Berasategi is in charge of the negotiations, and their modus operandi attempts to ensure that there are no leaks from negotiations. They will attempt to sort out the deals of Williams and Sancet before moving onto other matters.
While many of the players mentioned are veterans, and could be considered as expendable, such a large number of players out of contract will be of concern to some Athletic fans. It is normal that talks have not been started with some of the players out of contract in 2024, but the likes of Muniain, Yuri, Vesga and Berenguer are key parts of the Athletic side. If they cannot renew Sancet or Williams, then that concern will grow exponentially.
