Good thing we came to attack: Sporting only signing defenders
- Sporting have signed three top-level centre-backs (Juan Gutiérrez, Jorge Sáenz and Emanuel Gularte) to strengthen a defence that suffered too much last season
- Gularte would arrive on loan with a mandatory purchase option if the team is promoted to Primera, reflecting confidence in Larcamón's project
- Despite strengthening defence, the team lacks offensive potential to achieve promotion, as climbing divisions requires scoring goals as well as not conceding
Good thing Larcamón came in promising to be brave, attack-minded, take risks… because right now at Mareo, all you hear about are centre-backs. One after another, like they're going out of style. Look, I've nothing against fortifying the defence—we leaked far too many goals last season—but as a Sporting fan dreaming of promotion, I'd quite like to see someone who can actually put the ball in the net too.
Let's break it down, because for now the wall looks solid. The first signing was pure defensive: goalkeeper Egoitz Arana. And from there on, reinforced concrete:
The big rumour story is Gularte, a Larcamón pet project: he had him for two years at Puebla, where the Uruguayan made the Liga MX Team of the Year. According to La Voz de Asturias, Sporting have the deal lined up after the manager specifically requested it, and he'd arrive on loan with a mandatory purchase option if we go up. I love that detail: if we get promoted, he stays.
My take? We're going to be a fortress at the back. Three centre-backs with real quality for this division, experience, physicality and nous: that's sorted. But you don't get to Primera just by not conceding, you get there by SCORING. And up front, so far, nothing really grabs you. The only attacking name with real spark that was doing the rounds is going cold—I'll tell you more about that in my thoughts on the Larcamón era—.
Frequently asked questions
What centre-backs is Real Sporting de Gijón signing for 2026-27?
Three names are being strongly linked: Juan Gutiérrez (Mirandés) and Jorge Sáenz (Leganés), both available on free transfers, and Emanuel Gularte, who has been specifically requested by Larcamón and will join on loan with a mandatory purchase option if Real Sporting de Gijón achieves promotion.
Who is Emanuel Gularte?
He is a 28-year-old Uruguayan centre-back (1.89 m) who won everything with Peñarol in 2025. He worked with Larcamón at Puebla, where he was named in the Liga MX Team of the Year.
When did Real Sporting de Gijón's pre-season begin under Larcamón?
Larcamón laid the foundation on 8 July 2026, when the squad returned to training at Mareo, with a stated objective of achieving promotion.
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