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Thiago Fernández Leaves Vélez on Free Transfer, Signs With Villarreal After Scathing Post

Months of failed renewal talks left him sidelined, costing Vélez any transfer fee.

Overview

  • In a farewell Instagram post, the 21-year-old named president Fabián Berlanga and officials Augusto Costa, Ricardo Álvarez and Sebastián Pait, alleging infighting and saying Berlanga told him not to renew and that he had not earned a new deal.
  • He had been separated from the first team for more than six months after negotiations broke down.
  • Villarreal have signed him through June 2031, with reports stating he is due to report on January 2.
  • Fellow Vélez academy graduates Gianluca Prestianni and Santiago Castro publicly supported his statement.
  • His immediate role in Spain remains unclear, with local reporting noting either a chance under coach Marcelino García Toral or a loan after his late-2024 ACL layoff.