Aguerd explains why his Real Sociedad move fell through

Nayef Aguerd's move to Real Sociedad collapsed when it seemed done. According to Mundo Deportivo, an agreement had been reached between Olympique de Marseille and the txuri urdin side, but the transfer never materialized.

The Moroccan centre-back broke his silence on Instagram on Saturday. In a statement, Aguerd denies there were medical issues: "My medical was completed perfectly and was validated by both clubs. Therefore, there was no medical problem".

The protocol issue

The real stumbling block was elsewhere. The player explains he has a progressive recovery protocol for the injury he's been carrying for weeks, but Real's manager Pellegrino Matarazzo wanted him available straight away. "The only issue was this progressive reincorporation protocol, necessary to allow me to recover all my abilities in the best conditions, while the coach wanted to count on me immediately," the defender says.

Aguerd defends his decision as "responsible" to "preserve my body and be able to face the entire season in the best shape". With this, the Moroccan remains without a club for this campaign while Real Sociedad will need to seek defensive reinforcement.