Inside Athletic

When Kenan Kodro joined Athletic back in January the move came as a surprise to most fans, but it was needed. Aritz Aduriz was dealing with a long-term knee injury and Asier Villalibre was unable to be called up to the first team which left Gaizka Garitano with Iñaki Williams as the only striker in the team. Kodro arrived for a reasonable €1 million and was able to fill a role at an important time.

Throughout the remainder of the season Kodro made 11 appearances and scored a big goal in Athletic’s win over Atlético Madrid, but has been an excess so far this campaign. With Aduriz healthy, and enjoying his final months as a professional footballer, Kodro has featured just once and has often been left out of the squad entirely. Chances have been extremely hard to come by but there could be a way out for the Bosnian.

According to several reports throughout Spain, Real Zaragoza have shown interest in making a move for Kodro in the upcoming January transfer window. Striker Raphael Dwamena has recently been ruled out with an undisclosed medical issue which leaves Zaragoza in need of reinforcements. Sources claim that the club has identified Kodro as their top target with others such as Atlético Madrid’s Borja Garcés, Osasuna’s Marc Cardona, and Getafe’s Enric Gallego all possible options as well.

It remains to be seen if Athletic have any interest in sending Kenan Kodro out on loan in the coming months. As long as there are no injuries the 26-year-old won’t have many chances this season, though he could become a very important player were Williams or Aduriz to go down. In addition, Asier Villalibre has yet to see the field this season though there is no word of the 22-year-old possibly joining Real Zaragoza instead at this time.