Mikel Balenziaga (Zumarraga, he turns 33 in February) is close to renewing his contract with Athletic, most likely for one season. The talks between the club and the full-back are progressing well and everything indicates that the extension of the left-back’s contract will be announced shortly.
What happened in recent weeks has been key for Balenziaga’s future to remain linked to the rojiblanco club. The Gipuzkoan has covered Berchiche’s absences with note and has convinced Marcelino that he can count on him. The Asturian has opted for that of Zumarraga instead of resorting to the subsidiary, where apparently he has not found a convincing replacement.
In the two duels of the Super Cup he shone. Those who saw Berchiche’s loss as a serious problem found a high-level Balenziaga. His performance was even highlighted by the club’s own sports director, Rafa Alkorta. «For me, the player in this Super Cup, beyond the scorers, is Iker Muniain, who has made a tremendous effort, and Mikel Balenziaga, who is the man of both parties. He is a tremendous professional and he never complains. It had been a long time since I saw him play like this «he explained.
In the game against Getafe he was injured and reappeared twelve days later as the starter and captain in the duel against Valencia. That duel confirmed that he is having a good time. When he was written off, he has once again been an important player. In his tenth season at the club he has played thirteen games so far, more than those he played during the entirety of last season (11) and the same as in 2018-19.
The first idea of the club was to renew Raúl García throughout the course and leave the final decision on the other three who finished their contract -Mikel Vesga, Óscar de Marcos and Balenziaga- to the final stretch of the League, as was done in the two previous seasons with Aduriz (renewed), Susaeta, Iturraspe, Mikel Rico, San José and Beñat.
However, this strategy, which generated friction in the dressing room, has been scrapped. Vesga and De Marcos have already signed the renewal, Raúl García is close to doing it for one more campaign, as this newspaper announced, and now it is Balenziaga who has talks with the club very on track.
