Among the players on the Espanyol squad there is no doubt that Sergi Darder's intention is to leave the club this summer. Neither in the sports direction. The captain, flagship of the entity in football and emotional matters, has decided to go out and look for a new adventure with better sporting and economic aspirations. However, the Mallorcan's intention is for all parties to win with his goodbye, something very difficult.
Sergi Darder's clause increased on August 1 from 10 to 15 million, a difficult figure for LaLiga teams to assume, but one that would surely be negotiated by the club. In any case, this increase represents an added difficulty to a goodbye that for the club and the staff is uncomfortable and unwanted. Several teams have asked about his situation, but he himself has ruled out options that were not good enough, as assured by the sports director, Fran Garagarza. "He himself told us 'this is not serious for my club'. This is Sergi Darder. What is given has to have a high level for everyone”, said the Basque.
Among the most interested are Mallorca, whose offer is insufficient, Rafa Benítez's Celta, who must start before opening the door, and Vicente Moreno's Almería. The last option involves an exit abroad that guarantees a significant return for the club. He would only stay in the event that the market did not present him with any solid and ambitious project.
With just over a week to go before the start of the season, the Darder affair threatens to take hold. With each passing day, and although the professionalism and commitment of the player is impeccable, the nervousness among the players grows. The departure of the man from Artà would leave an orphan to a group that has drunk from his talent in recent years. And Garagarza's strategy in the market does not help to generate peace of mind.
Espanyol is the only professional team in Spain that has not recruited anyone yet. On the contrary, there have only been departures. In the first week, the goodbye of Joselu, the team's top scorer, Pedrosa and Vilhena, was already confirmed. In addition to the more than likely departure of Braithwaite. However, Garagarza prefers to wait for the last days of the market to try to seduce important players who a priori do not want to play in Second Division, taking advantage of the category's largest budget or grabbing onto the talent that already exists in the team to get out of hell in the first attempt.
