Sporting completes defence with Cuenca's return

Sporting is wrapping up the return of Andrés Cuenca to seal their defensive recruitment and refocus efforts on attacking reinforcements. According to Sport, the Andalusian centre-back was left out of Como's friendly against Arsenal on Wednesday and is preparing his move to Gijón as the club's tenth summer signing.

Negotiations have stretched beyond a month, but the Barcelona academy graduate was the priority from the start despite other targets like Levante's Jorge Cabello being considered. His performances with Spain's U-19 side and the positive impressions he made during his previous Sporting spell, plus this summer's preseason with Como, justified the club's persistence.

Cuenca will arrive on loan and becomes the fourth centre-back to join this summer, after Gularte, Duñabeitia and Jorge Sáenz. He will occupy the left-sided role in Nicolás Larcamón's three-at-the-back system. Guille Rosas already praised him on Cadena SER as an "incredible player and person" who will be "an added bonus for our defence".