Fer Niño gets new contract

According to the always trustworthy Javi Mata, writing for AS, young star Fer Niño has officially been given a new contract by the football club. This isn’t surprising at all, given the youngster’s explosive rise from the C team to setting records with the first team. After a quiet debut in the Copa del Rey, Fer came on to score a late winner against Alaves with his first touch of the game and then followed that up with a goal in our next Copa match.

A new contract will certainly come with a higher release clause, giving the club protection against those who would swoop in for a player with so much promise. While the arrival of Paco Alcacer has in some ways taken the foot off the gas of his integration into the first team, a player as young as he is who already possesses so much off the ball talent and guile in front of the net is not someone the club wanted out of their sights.

Fer’s place for next season is uncertain. He may be left with the B team for much of the year, a prospect that would be greatly buoyed if the second side can find promotion out of the third tier of Spain into the much higher quality Segunda. He may also be sent out on loan, though prevailing opinion seems to prefer Villarreal keeping the player where they can manage his minutes for next season. In any case, it is good news on the Wednesday to hear that the club has taken steps to keep Fer Niño in the fold for the foreseeable future.