The Melendo discontinuity

The year 2022 could be, and every day that passes there are more numbers of that occurring, the last of Óscar Melendo as a Espanyol player. Less than three months before his contract expires, and although both parties remain on the lookout and in negotiations, for the moment there has been no agreement after the last proposal offered by the entity. The youth squad continues to assess other interests and the parakeet offer to finally decide.

Melendo’s career in the League

Season PJ PT Min goals Assists
2021-22 14 11 701
2020-21* (2ª) 28 22 1565 2 1
2019-20 24 12 1112
2018-19 32 23 2003 5
2017-18 18 7 679 1
2016-17 11 2 297
TOTAL 127 77 6357 2 7

Despite this, it is not being the season of the youth squad, who with eight games to go before the end of the championship is reaping poor numbers. The player has participated in just 701 minutes divided into 14 league games, 11 of them played as a starter and without being decisive apart from a few fleeting moments, especially at the beginning of the season. They are continuity, Melendo has been more of a resource.

Espanyol Shield/Flag

La Liga Santander

*Data updated as of April 1, 2022

Matches like against Real Madrid (2-1) in that stretch of matchday 4 to 12 in which the midfielder took advantage of injuries to Keidi Bare and Yangel Herrera to consolidate in the team. He was a starter in seven of the nine games and it did not go badly for Vicente Moreno’s team, since he added 12 points out of 27, an average of 44% of the points for an average of 38% that the parakeet team has throughout the competition.

The one from Sant Adrià disappeared after the lineups and the stretch between matchday 22 and 23 condemned him when Espanyol only added one of nine, last January, and Melendo alternated good performances as in Cádiz (2-2) with others more discreet, against Betis (1-4) and in San Mamés (2-1). Since February 7 he has not been in the starting team and his last minutes came on the 20th of that same month against Sevilla (1-1). March, the month of resurrection in terms of results for Espanyol, was a fallow for the youth squad, who hopes to recover his magic while he has just plucked the leaves of the daisy.