Elche Signs Barcelona Players Just Before Deadline

Elche, Spain — In the final 48 hours of the transfer market, Elche CF made a significant move by signing goalkeeper Iñaki Peña and right-back Héctor Fort from FC Barcelona. The deal, which occurred just before the deadline, was facilitated by coach Eder Sarabia, who had been encouraging the players to join the franjiverde.

Pena and Fort have joined Elche on pure loan deals without an option for permanent transfer. Both players are eligible to play tonight without any ‘fear clause’ preventing them from facing their parent club. Peña explained the situation, saying, “The Barça asked me to stay until the end in case of issues registering another goalkeeper.”

Peña has previously made 45 appearances for Barcelona over a decade, and he aims for more continuity in Elche. Meanwhile, Fort has played 30 matches for Barcelona and seeks regular playing time at Elche. They will face a tough challenge today against Barcelona, showcasing talents like Lamine Yamal.

Peña acknowledged the difficulty of stopping Barcelona, saying, “We know it’s very hard to stop Barcelona. They have regained their collective strength and can win a match individually from anywhere.” Fort added, “No team is unstoppable, including Barcelona.”

Both players will play essential roles on the field, and Peña expressed confidence in his skills honed while training with Lamine. “Lamine is the best player in the world. I’ve trained with him for the last two years, and you could see he was special even at 15 years old,” he said.

Barcelona began the match brightly, quickly taking a 2-0 lead with goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres before Elche responded with a goal from Rafa Mir, cutting the deficit to 2-1 as the game progressed. As both teams strive for different objectives in La Liga, the match promises thrilling moments.

Tonight’s game is critical for both teams—Elche seeks to improve from four consecutive winless games, while Barcelona aims to bounce back from a recent defeat.