Betis Eyes Roberto Fernández After Impressive Espanyol Loan Spell
Roberto Fernández the young Spanish striker from Sporting de Braga has shone during his loan spell at Espanyol.
Trying little by little to awaken from the nightmare that the dream of the Conference League final against Chelsea turned into, Betis is already looking ahead to the 2025–26 season — an exciting new campaign with significant changes, such as the move to La Cartuja, and a return to the European stage in the UEFA Europa League. For that reason, the club has started planning its squad, where — among other positions — they intend to strengthen the forward line with several names on the list of options, including that of Roberto Fernández.
The young Sporting de Braga forward, 22 years old, has shone in the second half of the season, in which he played on loan at Espanyol. With six goals and one assist in 19 league games, and just over 1,500 minutes of play, he has been crucial in helping the Catalan side secure their place in the First Division. His performance, youth, playing style, and market situation have attracted the interest of the green-and-white Sports Management team, led by Manu Fajardo.
Seville Meeting Sets the Stage
Two weeks ago, in Seville, before traveling to Wrocław for the continental final, there was a meeting between Betis and the player’s representatives. Espanyol had retained a purchase option for Roberto after the end of his loan, set at around 10 million euros, but their financial situation prevented them from reaching that figure. The option for the Catalan club to buy the player had a deadline at the end of May, so now they will have to compete on equal footing with the other clubs interested in the player, whose release clause is 45 million euros.
A Strategic Signing for the Future
Betis is one of those clubs that has sounded out the conditions under which they could sign Roberto Fernández. After securing Cucho Hernández on a permanent deal in January, the green-and-whites are looking to strengthen and rejuvenate their attack, where their only alternative to the Colombian is Bakambu, aged 34. To this end, they are seeking a player with different playing characteristics than Juan Camilo, with potential and the ability to provide not just sporting performance, but also future resale value. Roberto Fernández fits this profile: Andalusian, from Puente Genil, and trained at Málaga — which still holds a percentage of any future sale by Braga. A player who, although not currently a priority in the planning process, is appreciated and on the list of candidates being considered by Manu Fajardo.
