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Villarreal Sign Thiago Fernández on Five-and-a-Half-Year Deal After Vélez Exit

The 21-year-old arrives on a free through June 2031 with a phased return planned during his ACL recovery.

Overview

  • Villarreal confirmed the Argentine's signing and placed him in Marcelino García Toral’s first-team setup for training.
  • The club said his integration will be progressive as he completes rehabilitation from a December 2024 anterior cruciate ligament injury.
  • Fernández left Vélez Sarsfield at the end of his contract after renewal talks collapsed, making the move as a free agent.
  • In a public farewell, he accused directors Fabián Berlanga, Augusto Costa, Ricardo Alvarez and Sebastián Pait of mishandling negotiations.
  • He departs after 48 official games and a role in Vélez’s 2024 Liga Profesional title, a departure portrayed as part of a wider pattern of academy exits.