Ignoring the Barcelona noise
Despite rumours linking him to Barcelona, Oyarzabal insists he is not distracted during Spain’s World Cup run. The 29-year-old, long the face of Real Sociedad, is coming off a stellar 2025-2026 season where he scored 18 goals and provided four assists in 40 appearances.
In an interview with
Commitment to Real Sociedad
Questions over a potential exit inevitably circle back to Oyarzabal’s ‘one-club man’ status at Real Sociedad, where he has racked up 437 appearances, 133 goals, and two Copa del Rey titles. With two years left on his contract, the forward is in no rush to force a move or enter talks while on international duty.
“I’m calm. I’ve said it a thousand times, Real Sociedad and San Sebastián are my home. It’s my safe haven, where I grew up, and Real Sociedad is the club that gave me the opportunity to be here today,” he explained. “So, in that respect, I’m calm, without going crazy. We haven’t talked about a renewal yet. I have two years left on my contract and there’s still a long way to go.”
Protecting Yamal
While Oyarzabal handles his own future with composure, he is keen to protect his 18-year-old teammate, Yamal, from intense global scrutiny. Despite his youth,
“I think he probably isn’t fully aware of it himself, and I don’t think people outside the club are fully aware of what it means for him to be 18,” Oyarzabal said. “And I can’t even imagine what happened at the last European Championship when he was 16, what it means for a kid his age to do what he does and generate what he generates. So, I think it’s up to us, to you, to everyone, to look after him, to try to make him feel good, to make him feel supported, because I think at that age, if you don’t have stability and a level head, everything can become unstable. And I think it’s everyone’s responsibility, obviously his, but everyone’s responsibility to try to help him along that path.”
The impact of Yamal on the pitch
Beyond the off-field mentorship, Oyarzabal is quick to praise the tactical advantage Yamal provides to the Spanish attack. The chemistry between the two was evident in
“Playing with him makes all the difference. He creates a lot of chaos for the opponent simply with his presence, simply with what he can do,” the Real Sociedad star concluded. “And in the end, we have to try to benefit from that and try to find what he creates and what we can do individually, to take advantage of what he does.”
