They say at El Sardinero that there is no worse feeling than falling in love with a loaned player. This player captivates you for an entire season, becomes beloved, and connects with the stands, only to pack their bags and change jerseys. This is precisely what is happening this season with Racing de Santander and Peio Canales (Barrika, 2005).
The Athletic attacking midfielder is on loan at the Santander team, where he is showcasing his full potential. This greatly benefits the red-and-white club, which will count on him, at least, for the next preseason. An example of this was his outstanding performance against Almería (5-1), where he was named the best player of the match in the clash between the then first and second placed teams in LaLiga Hypermotion.
Canales scored a goal, after completing a great individual play, and provided an assist that Sangalli only had to tap into the net after the Biscayan made another foray into the rival area.
Furthermore, Canales was the leader of a Racing team that had to come back from Almería's initial goal. Goals from Iñigo Vicente and Asier Villalibre also helped the Cantabrian team not only maintain their leadership in the Segunda División but also widen the gap to four points over second-placed Deportivo de la Coruña, with seven matchdays remaining in the season.
The attacking midfielder is not the only Racing player with ties to Lezama who shone in the match against the Andalusians. Iñigo Vicente and Asier Villalibre also played significant roles. The former, like Canales, scored a goal and provided an assist; while the latter maintained his scoring streak by netting a brace against Sporting de Gijón.
Both left Athletic for the same reason: lack of playing time. Thus, while Vicente arrived at El Sardinero in the 2022/23 season after two consecutive loans at Mirandés; Villalibre arrived in Santander last summer, after a season at Alavés.
The irony of football has meant that two former Athletic players and a loaned red-and-white player are in a scoring frenzy in the final stretch of the season, while Ernesto Valverde's team is struggling to find the net. In fact, the Lions are the fourth team with the fewest goals scored in the Primera División, with 33 goals, only surpassed in this negative aspect by Rayo Vallecano (29), Getafe (27), and Oviedo (24). Moreover, those led by Txingurri have only scored in two of their last six matches.
