Pablo Sáenz is key for Oviedo, with a €6m release clause

Real Oviedo have struck gold in the market with Pablo Sáenz, a Navarrese winger who arrived on a free transfer this summer after months of tracking. As MARCA explains, his start has been instant: two goals so far and, in addition, two shots that hit the woodwork.

From loan spell to a starter

The move was being prepared well in advance. Oviedo had been following him during his loan at Albacete, where he scored five times in the second half of the season. After returning to Granada, his role never quite matched expectations, and with only a year left on his deal, his future began to drift away from Los Cármenes. Granada tried to renew him, but the two sides did not reach agreement on the terms being offered from Asturias. MARCA also notes that other clubs were willing to pay a small fee in January, though the player and his surroundings preferred to finish the campaign and wait for Oviedo.

Contract terms and early recognition

Sáenz signed until 2028, with no automatic option to extend. His release clause is set at €6 million while Oviedo play in Segunda División, rising to €12 million if they are in Primera. With the level of impact he’s showing already, MARCA frames his contract as something likely to matter a lot when thinking ahead.

On the pitch, his start has earned him the Mahou 5 Estrellas award for the best Oviedo player of August. In comments cited by MARCA after receiving the prize, Julián Calero asks him to be “dangerous” in the rival’s half, in the final third area: “Whenever I get there I try to play an aggressive pass or take a shot that can be a goal.”