'Doing very well' – Real Sociedad president not ruling out Sadiq staying despite exit talk

Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has not ruled out the possibility of Nigerian striker Sadiq Umar staying at the club for the 2025/2026 season, despite widespread speculation linking him with a summer move away.

Sadiq spent the second half of last season on loan at Valencia, where he regained form and confidence.

The former Almería forward netted five goals in 16 La Liga appearances, following a difficult first half of the 2024/2025 campaign at Sociedad, where he struggled to secure regular minutes.

Aperribay praised Sadiq’s professionalism and revealed the forward has been training well with the group that remained in Zubieta, Real Sociedad’s training base.

"The information I have about Sadiq is that he's trained very well, like the entire group that has stayed in Zubieta,” Aperribay was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo. 

"We've spoken with Erik every day about how the sessions at Zubieta are going, and Sadiq is doing very well.”

"We'll see. I wouldn't rule out Sadiq being here next season. I think I've been clear: if those players who are in the group we're interested in coming can be done, they will.”

Aperribay also reiterated that while the club remains open to strengthening the squad, they are confident in the current group of players.

“If not, we feel we have a good squad and good players, and also that we can achieve our goals with the players we have.”

He indicated that the final decision regarding Sadiq’s future will rest with new head coach Sergio Francisco.

“We'll have to see how Sergio views Sadiq, and we'll make decisions based on what I've said,” Aperribay added.

As the 2025/2026 season approaches, Sadiq will be eager to sort out his future, either by cementing a place at Sociedad or moving elsewhere in search of consistent game time.

With Nigeria's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers resuming in September, the forward knows regular minutes will be crucial to earning a national team recall.

Adeyemi Adewale

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