Espanyol reject Elche’s first bid for Rubén Sánchez

The RCD Espanyol are keeping open the door for Rubén Sánchez (25), a right-back who can play in several roles, but they are not willing to sell him for the price offered so far. According to Mundo Deportivo, the Elche have made a first proposal in recent hours—around half a million euros—and Espanyol have rejected it.

A ‘no’ that tightens things

The situation has been developing for weeks. Espanyol had nearly agreed with PAOK Thessaloniki—run by Alessio Lisci—for the same player, but the deal collapsed after PAOK’s elimination in the last round before the Conference League. PAOK had put €400,000 on the table, with an agreed rise up to €600,000 if they secured a European spot. That qualification didn’t happen: Brann (Norway) won the tie 3-2 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

Now, with the market closing soon, Espanyol continue to ask for roughly a ‘million’ (around €1m) for their player, which is why this new approach from Elche hasn’t moved forward.

The sporting message

The sporting context also matters. Even though Rubén was a key figure at the end of last season—starting four of the last five matchdays—coach Manolo González made it clear on last Friday that he’s not part of his plans. As he put it: “It’s a sporting and technical decision; there’s nothing else to look for.”

Sporting director Monchi echoed that position, saying Espanyol haven’t found a satisfactory option yet: “As of today, we haven’t found the best option that satisfies both them and us,” and added that Rubén still has a contract with Espanyol and “if the 1st he’s still here, he’ll be a player for us.”

Mundo Deportivo expects a resolution within the next 72 hours.