Mundo Deportivo: Salinas Stays at Racing Santander This Summer as Barcelona, Atletico and Manchester United Miss Out

According to Mundo Deportivo, the transfer window has closed. Racing Santander fans can breathe a sigh of relief because, after no club activated his €16 million release clause, Jorge Salinas will continue playing for the Green and Whites for another season. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United all tried to sign him, but none could convince Racing Santander sporting director Chema Aragon.

The 19-year-old Salinas plays as a left-back for Racing Santander and helped the team return to the top flight after 14 years. Although he played as a centre-back throughout his youth career, manager Jose Alberto moved him to the flank, where he has performed well. “The biggest question is his ideal position. It depends on which team, which coach and which environment... but if I had to bet, I would say his potential as a centre-back is even greater,” Racing Santander reporter Andres Castanera said on the channel “Le Futbolin.”

Salinas’ transformation recalls Gerard Martin or Marc Pubill, but in the opposite direction. Castanera compared the Cantabrian player’s versatility to Manchester City player Josko Gvardiol. “Since the first time I saw him, I have always compared him with Gvardiol. There are obviously differences in physical ability, technique and level, but the potential as a centre-back or full-back may be quite similar. The Croatian changed from centre-back to full-back and performed very well, although his best form has still come as a left centre-back. Salinas will go through a similar process,” the reporter said.

In the dressing room, he is known as “Sali.” Last season he made 33 appearances in the Spanish second division and provided seven assists. This season, he has started all of Racing Santander’s first three league matches and has won two penalties. He can also play both centre-back and on the flank for Spain’s Under-19 team, and he won the European Under-19 Championship with the team this summer. His progress at youth level has led people to believe he could break into the senior national team in the coming years. “He has the potential to play many matches for Spain. I would bet one of my fingers on it,” Castanera analyzed.

Salinas’ most outstanding quality is his defensive dueling ability. He is extremely difficult to beat one-on-one. In fact, he was the Racing Santander player with the most successful duels won last season. “What I value most is his professionalism and maturity in matches. It is precisely because of this strong competitive mentality that he has performed so well defensively, almost always limiting the wingers he faces,” the reporter described. Salinas’ rise in Spain’s second tier has also attracted attention from several major clubs in La Liga and the Premier League.

Last summer, after playing only three matches for the first team, he received a huge offer from Saudi Arabia, with a contract value 30 times higher than Racing Santander’s, but he rejected it. Although he has not yet scored for the Green and Whites, he is a major threat in set-piece attacks and often creates chances, despite not being particularly tall at only 1.83 meters.

His rapid emergence in Racing Santander’s first team recalls Pablo Torre. Torre was a key figure when the club was promoted to the Spanish second tier in 2022 before joining Barcelona. “The two situations are very different. First, Salinas is simply a better player, both in terms of his form when he joined and his potential. Also, Pablo was playing in Spain’s third tier at the time, while Jorge is already the best left-back in the second division,” Castanera said.

Finally, although Salinas came through as a centre-back, he is also very active in attack. Racing Santander’s attractive, attack-oriented style requires him to constantly make forward runs and reach the byline to occupy the winger position left open by Inigo Vicente. “His level on the ball is very high. He is the type of centre-back/full-back hybrid that coaches like Arteta and Guardiola appreciate today,” Castanera concluded. For at least another season, Racing Santander fans can continue enjoying the surprises brought by this young star.