Oyarzabal, the best signing Real Sociedad could get

Mikel Oyarzabal returns to Real Sociedad's training ground on Monday after enjoying his well-deserved vacation as World Cup champion. The txuriurdin forward, who was the tournament's joint top scorer with five goals for Spain, comes back to Zubieta to prepare for the 2026-27 season.

According to MARCA, the question now is whether the 11 days of training he'll have before the league opener on August 21st against Betis will be enough to get him fully fit, or if the club will choose to protect him from injury risk. August 26th brings the first serious test: a trip to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Real Madrid.

Oyarzabal returns to the club he holds dear after repeatedly turning down moves during the World Cup tournament. He is already among the club's 10 most-capped players and their second all-time leading goalscorer, making him the best signing Real Sociedad could possibly have at this time of year.