Santi Cazorla will play for Real Oviedo for at least one more season, having signed a one-year contract extension to “wear the shirt of his life” in LaLiga.
Cazorla returned to Oviedo, the club he first joined as an eight-year-old, in 2023. Having initially wanted to play for free, it was agreed Oviedo would pay him the minimum salary of €91,000 a season, an investment that has already proven superb value for money.
The former Villarreal, Malaga and Arsenal midfielder scored in the second leg of Oviedo’s semi-final with Almeria in the Segunda’s promotion play-offs. Cazorla then scored the equaliser from the spot in the second leg of the final with Mirandes as Oviedo came back from 1-0 down to win 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate after extra time, securing Oviedo’s return to LaLiga after a 24-year absence.
Now the 40-year-old will play for Oviedo in the top flight, with the club saying in a statement: “Real Oviedo and Santi Cazorla have reached an agreement to extend the link of the Asturian during the 2025-26 season, so the Fonciello player will continue to wear the shirt of his life in the return of his team to the First Division.
“With this renewal, Santi Cazorla, symbol and emblem of oviedismo, shows that dreams, when they are pursued with the heart, are fulfilled. The carbayon midfielder, who returned to Oviedo two summers ago, when many did not expect it, has been a key figure since his arrival, bringing experience and putting his passion and dedication at the service of a team and a city that saw the start of his football life.
“In this way, Real Oviedo ensures the leadership of a footballer who represents the values of the club like few others, both on and off the field.
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“Santi Cazorla will thus begin his third season after his return in the summer of 2023, accumulating five goals and five assists in 35 games played. The fans will once again enjoy his football, his commitment and his magic in the year of the return to the elite. Because if there is anybody who deserved to live this moment at home, it’s him.
“Thank you for continuing to believe, Santi. Thank you for continuing to dream about us.”
Oviedo’s first game back in LaLiga will see them visit Cazorla’s former club Villarreal on August 15.
