Ruben Reyes only spent 11 months working at Oviedo, hence the feeling of an unfinished project. Many footballers arrived with medium-term contracts and the idea was to continue betting on young footballers with a projection for more years. The hiring of footballers who gave a remarkable performance, such as David Costas, Dani Calvo or Borja Bastón, are the best example of an ambitious squad that was centimeters away from sneaking into the promotion phase. Now, with the departure of Reyes to Getafe, the blue club has to rebuild the project, but at least there is a base already done.
Oviedo is now looking for a successor for Reyes to take charge of the sports sphere, a search that hopes to materialize in the coming days. The board has contacted various candidates since the departure of the Asturian to Gefate was confirmed and in Mexico they are following the process up to date: it will be Arturo Elías, representative of the largest shareholder in the club, who will give the go-ahead to the operation.
There are several candidates who have positioned themselves in recent times for the position. Chema Aragón, current sports director of Mirandés, was the first to create consensus in the different forces of the club. However, opposition from the Anduva club, with whom he has a contract for another year and a one million euro termination clause, has made the agreement impossible.
The name that wins whole with the passing of the days is that of Lalo Arantegui, who occupied the offices of Huesca and Zaragoza, where he left in December 2020 and has not returned to a club since then. He is the favorite in a process that remains open and that also has other candidates such as Toni Cruz or Tito in the background waiting for events.
When the arrival of a sports director is formalized, it will be time to discuss the continuity or not of José Ángel Ziganda, the coach for the last three seasons. The club wants to bet on his renewal, and it seems that Cuco’s intentions are going the same way, although he first wants to know the club’s intentions for the immediate future. In any case, it will be the sports director who inherits the work of Rubén Reyes who has the last word on the matter.
In any case, what is on track is the planning for the coming season. At least in theory, since there are fifteen players in the current squad whose contract is guaranteed beyond June 30. It is the goalkeeper Tomeu Nadal; defenders Lucas Ahijado, David Costas, Rodri Tarín, Dani Calvo and Pierre Cornud; midfielders Jimmy, Hugo Rama, Javi Mier and Luismi; the extreme Jirka, Sangalli and Viti; and strikers Borja Bastón and Samu Obeng.
To them we must add the goalkeeper Quentin Braat, who has already signed his relationship with the blues. He comes from the second category of French football and is the last bet of Rubén Reyes before leaving office. To these 16 protagonists we must add the options still in force for Borja Sánchez and Femenías who end up reaching an agreement with the blue club to extend their contract beyond June 30.