The renovation of Melendo or the crisis of a fairy tale

Unlike Javi Puado, who was renewed last summer, or Adrià Pedrosa, who ends his contract in 2023 and his continuity is already being discussed, contacts to extend Óscar Melendo’s contract will not begin in earnest until January, six months after leaving the club, when you can negotiate freely with whoever you want. The continuity of the playmaker has not been one of the priorities of the sports management.

The renewal of Sant Adrià, at 24 years old, will not be easy for the parakeet club. The footballer has, for the moment, some interest from First-class clubs or with possibilities of promotion, while his salary is not excessively high. The player signed a five-year contract in February 2017, just four months after making his debut in the First Division. A period in which he had not yet made excessive merits to place himself in the upper middle part of the squad. Free, with low salary and with experience despite his youth, values ​​with little risk for any entity.

Melendo, who stars in an account story in the parakeet club when starting from the Escola category (four years) and reaching the first team, accumulates 149 official matches (95 in First, 28 in Second, 16 in Copa del Rey and ten in Europa League) in which he has scored six goals, perhaps the facet in which he has not taken that step forward that was expected: he accumulates one every 25 games.

The way of thinking of the footballer will decide the situation

With Vicente Moreno, the player had his share of prominence the previous year in the Second Division, when he played 22 starting games, 28 in total, although he did not reach 45% of the total minutes. This course, on the other hand, was decisive in some specific matches at the RCDE Stadium, but he is subscribed to the bench: he has played 487 minutes, 30%. What penalizes the footballer is the game model, that is why with Joan Francesc Rubi (55% of the minutes) his best version was seen or the previous year in Segunda with a dominating Espanyol.

Melendo’s way of thinking will mark the outcome of the future renovation. In Espanyol he has a place with a secondary role, as has happened in most seasons in which he has not managed to settle continuously in the line-ups. Outside he could live a new adventure with the risk and opportunities that this entails, especially the latter if that way of playing suits his characteristics.