According to "Sport," Elche has begun planning its squad for the 2026-2027 season.
Elche's new coach, Anselmi, will familiarize himself with the new environment this week. The club currently has 22 first-team contract players available for preseason preparation, but not all of them will stay until the summer transfer window closes on September 1.
Elche also needs to address some existing issues and strengthen the squad. The number and quality of new signings will depend on player departures. No one can guarantee their place in this plan, but under Bragarnik's operation, no sale will be below the set price. The winter transfer of Rodrigo Mendoza has already proven this point. Elche is under no financial pressure, and the club will try to take the initiative in all negotiations.
Goalkeeper
In the goalkeeper position, Elche has contracts with Dituro and Iturbe. The experienced Argentine goalkeeper withstood competition from Iñaki Peña and, despite theoretically being at a disadvantage, secured the starting position. He just renewed his contract for another year and is a key player in the locker room.
The current question is who will be his direct competitor. Iturbe joined last summer on a contract until 2029 but has yet to play an official match. Another year on the bench seems too long. Treating him as Dituro's direct competitor also carries risks. Elche hopes to find another goalkeeper, possibly loaning out the former Atlético Madrid player and promoting Owen Bosch as the third-choice goalkeeper.
Center-backs
In the center-back position, Anselmi has more questions than certainties. Alfons Grüber (2027), Pedro Bigas (2027), Diaby (2027), John (2028), and Barzic (2028) all have contracts with the club. Under normal circumstances, the first two would be fixed members of the squad, but the Austrian is expected to receive significant offers, and his departure would bring considerable transfer revenue to the club.
If Alfons Grüber's likely departure materializes, Elche will have to strengthen this position in the transfer market, as Diaby has no place, and John and Barzic will not play a core role. Alternative solutions include Víctor Chust, whom Bragarnik hopes to buy out in a tug-of-war with Cádiz; and Léo Petró, who signed a 1+1 contract, but the club has not officially announced the extension.
Wingers
On the wings, Elche has secured the future of the right flank by exercising Sangare's buyout clause from Roma. His contract runs until 2031, but due to his participation in the U19 European Championship, he will start preseason preparation later than his teammates. Currently, apart from him, there are no other defensive wingers with contracts, and the squad list will be further adjusted after July 1.
In more offensive positions, Elche has Tete Morente and Germán Valera. Morente's performance in the second half of the season was convincing, making his contract until 2028 more valuable; Valera's value has increased after his excellent performance in La Liga, and he may receive lucrative offers in the next two and a half months, but Elche hopes to keep him, and even extend his contract, which currently ends in 2027.
Midfield
In midfield, the void left by Febas's departure must be filled through the transfer market, as both parties failed to agree on a contract extension. The other four pure midfielders who remained after avoiding relegation all have contracts, and Gonzalo Villar's buyout clause has been exercised, meaning he will stay until 2029.
Marc Aguado's contract runs until 2027, and the club will discuss an extension with him as soon as possible. The situations of Martim Neto (2028) and Fede Redondo (2030) are different. The Portuguese has had inconsistent performances, and the Argentine has had very little playing time. It remains to be seen whether the club will loan him out, possibly to Spain or America.
Attacking Midfielders and Wingers
In the attacking third, Elche's personnel looks most congested. Morente and Valera can both play these roles, in addition to Dion (2027) and Cepeda (2030). These two players, who joined last year, have not yet fully realized their potential, and the new season will be an opportunity for them to prove themselves, provided they have adapted to the team.
The prospects for other options in Anselmi's hands are less optimistic: Iago, Rafa Núñez, and Aly. The first two have contracts until 2027, and the third until 2028. The Galician of the former pair has just recovered from a severe knee injury and has barely been able to show his abilities; among these two youth players, only Aly seems to have a chance to remain in Elche's plans.
Forwards
Upfront, Elche's forward line is about to undergo a major overhaul. André Silva has already gone to Porto, and there is no news yet on Rafa Mir's buyout. Of the three forwards from the 2025-2026 season, only Álvaro Rodríguez remains, with a contract until 2029 and a high release clause.
The Spanish-Uruguayan forward has many suitors, and Bragarnik does not rule out selling him, although if a deal goes through, half of the transfer fee would go to Real Madrid. In addition, Anselmi can also evaluate Osorio in preseason. He signed in January until 2029, has played little in recent months due to injury, and has already arrived in the "City of Palms"; there is also Adam (2027), who is expected to be loaned out after renewing his contract.