Jesús Areso Scout Report: Athletic Club’s Energetic Right-Back

Quick Scout Answer: Jesús Areso Blanco is the 27-year-old right-back Athletic Club brought back from Osasuna for a reported €12 million in the summer of 2025, valued above all for his stamina and his end product from wide areas. Born in the small Navarre town of Cascante, Areso started out at local side CD Aluvión, spent a brief spell in Osasuna’s academy, then joined Athletic’s Lezama pipeline in 2017 and made 77 league appearances for the reserve side, Bilbao Athletic, over four seasons. He left in 2021 after declining to renew his contract, moved to Osasuna, spent 2022-23 on loan at Burgos CF, and became a first-team regular back in Pamplona — a spell capped by a strike against Getafe on 21 January 2024 that was voted LaLiga’s Goal of the Season 2023-24, scored from an almost impossible angle on the byline. That July 2025 return to Bilbao was framed by the club as filling the void left by the retirement of club legend Óscar de Marcos, and came with a six-year deal running to 30 June 2031; in his own words, he “knew very clearly that he wanted to come home.” His first season back saw him locked in a genuine three-way fight for the right-back slot with veteran Andoni Gorosabel and academy prospect Hugo Rincón, with Gorosabel edging him narrowly on minutes played. He opened 2026-27 with a regular run of starts. On raw output, his aerial ability (above 74% duel success) and delivery from deep make him a natural fit for what Süper Lig teams typically look for from a right-back — but a freshly signed long-term contract and the fee Athletic just paid make any near-term move highly unlikely.

Career Story: From Cascante to San Mamés, Twice Over

Jesús Areso Blanco was born on 2 July 1999 in Cascante, a small town in Spain’s Navarre region. He began at local club CD Aluvión before a short stint in CA Osasuna’s academy in 2017 — a stay cut short when Athletic Club moved to sign him for its own famous academy at Lezama that same year. Athletic’s recruitment policy draws not only on the Basque Country proper but on the wider historically Basque-linked territories, Navarre included, and Areso became a product of exactly that pipeline as he progressed to the reserve side, Bilbao Athletic. He made his senior debut on 2 September 2017, coming off the bench in a 4-0 home win over Real Unión in what was then Segunda División B. After a rotational first season or two, he established himself as a regular starter from 2018-19 onward, finishing his four years at Bilbao Athletic with 77 league appearances.

The summer of 2021 marked a turning point: Areso chose not to renew his contract with Athletic and left as a free agent for CA Osasuna, making his La Liga debut on 26 September 2021 away at Mallorca. After his first season in Pamplona he spent 2022-23 out on loan at Segunda División side Burgos CF, making 37-38 appearances (sources differ by one match) and contributing to the club’s consolidation in the second tier. Back at Osasuna, he became an undroppable presence through 2023-24 and 2024-25, starting the large majority of the club’s 41 and 40 official fixtures in those two campaigns respectively.

The signature moment of his Osasuna career came on 21 January 2024, in the 80th minute at El Sadar against Getafe. Collecting the ball on the byline at an acute angle following a corner, Areso struck it toward goal with his right foot; the shot beat goalkeeper David Soria and went in off the far post. Broadcast data put the pre-shot probability of the goal at roughly 0.8%. It was voted LaLiga’s Goal of the Month for January 2024 and later the league’s Goal of the Season for 2023-24, giving Areso a level of national recognition well beyond his usual profile as a steady, hardworking full-back. Across his Osasuna spell the club’s own figures credit him with 86 official appearances, 1 goal and 11 assists; that total does not line up cleanly with the season-by-season breakdown some statistical aggregators publish, which sums to a higher figure across 2021-22 through 2024-25 — a discrepancy GegenSports flags here rather than silently picking one number, most plausibly explained by differing conventions on which competitions are counted.

On 22 July 2025, Athletic Club announced Areso’s return. The move was widely reported in the Spanish and international press as triggered by a €12 million release clause in his Osasuna contract, though neither club issued a fully itemised official figure. He was presented to the press in San Mamés’ Jose Iragorri room alongside club president Jon Uriarte and sporting director Mikel González, and signed through 30 June 2031. “I had it very clear that I wanted to come home,” Areso said at his unveiling; Uriarte, for his part, noted that while the club was satisfied with its existing squad, it remained open to signings that strengthened the team, financially and otherwise. Areso’s arrival also coincided with the retirement of long-serving Athletic figure Óscar de Marcos, and Spanish coverage of the deal consistently framed it as filling that specific gap at right-back.

His first season back, 2025-26, put him into a genuine three-way competition for minutes with the experienced Andoni Gorosabel and academy graduate Hugo Rincón, who had impressed on loan at Girona. Press assessments at the close of the campaign had Gorosabel narrowly ahead of Areso in total minutes played. Edin Terzic’s arrival as head coach in May 2026, replacing Ernesto Valverde, reopened the question of how the right-back rotation would settle; some August 2026 reporting suggested Athletic had offered Gorosabel to Osasuna in a separate deal — a reported, unconfirmed market scenario rather than a completed transfer, and treated as such here. Areso opened the 2026-27 campaign with a run of regular starts.

Player Identity

Career and Transfer History

Areso’s path is a rare double loop between the same two clubs: from Osasuna’s academy to Athletic in 2017, from Athletic to Osasuna as a free agent in 2021, and back to Athletic for a fee in 2025. Neither club has published a fully itemised official figure for the 2025 deal, but the overwhelming majority of Spanish and international outlets converge on €12 million.

Season-by-Season Statistics

*The Burgos loan season shows a one-match gap between Fichajes.com (37) and the sourcing behind Wikipedia’s figure (38).
**2025-26 shows a clearer split: Fichajes.com’s all-competitions total lists 34 appearances and 1 assist, while La-Liga-only trackers (WhoScored/footystats-derived sources) list 25 league appearances and 3 assists. The most plausible explanation is that the higher figure includes cup and European fixtures while the lower one is league-only — flagged explicitly per GegenSports’ standard disclosure policy rather than silently resolved.

*The yellow-card count shows the same source split (3 league-only vs 5 all-competitions) and is likely rooted in the same methodological difference as the appearance count above.

Note: direct access to FBref’s and Transfermarkt’s statistics pages was not technically possible at the time this report was prepared; the figures above were cross-checked across Sofascore, WhoScored, Fichajes.com and several statistical aggregators. Divergences between sources are most likely a matter of competition coverage (league-only vs all official matches) rather than measurement error, and should be read that way.

Style of Play

Areso plays the classic Spanish “carrilero” role — a full-back who treats the entire touchline as his responsibility, bombing forward in possession and tracking back in defence rather than sitting in a fixed defensive slot. WhoScored-derived analysis describes him as a player content to cover the right flank for the full 90 minutes, a description that lines up with his consistently high appearance counts across two clubs.

• Delivery and end product from wide areas: his signature trait is manufacturing danger even from tight angles — the Getafe strike, scored from a near-impossible position on the byline, is the clearest evidence of a genuine footballing craft rather than a one-off fluke. In 2025-26 his cross accuracy (22.1%) looks modest on its own, but 19 chances created in the season points to a player who regularly gets the ball into dangerous zones.
• Aerial presence: a 74.3% aerial duel win rate is high for a right-back, suggesting genuine value defending long balls and as a threat at his own set pieces.
• Stamina and repeatable output: four straight seasons of 37+ official appearances between 2021-22 and 2024-25 reflect a physical profile clubs have consistently trusted with a heavy workload.
• Balanced duelling: a 58.5% overall duel win rate is solidly above average for the position without being exceptional.
• Positional flexibility: being occasionally listed as a wide centre-back in a back three gives coaching staff a rotation option, though this should be read as an occasional tool rather than a settled secondary role.

Term note — “Carrilero”: in Spanish football terminology, a player who single-handedly covers an entire flank in both boxes, most associated with 5-3-2 or 3-4-3 systems, alternating between wing-back and winger duties. Areso plays in a flat back four rather than a back three, but carries that same relentless up-and-down energy, which is what separates him from a more conservative, purely defensive-minded right-back. “Overlapping run”: a full-back or winger’s run on the outside of a teammate holding the ball, offering width and a passing option further up the pitch — the exact kind of move that set up his career-defining Getafe goal.

Squad competition shaped Areso’s role throughout 2025-26. Compared with veteran Andoni Gorosabel’s more conservative, discipline-first game, Areso’s profile leans more heavily on forward contribution and delivery from wide areas — a difference that has led coaching staff to rotate between the two depending on the opponent. Edin Terzic, who took over in May 2026 and carries a high-tempo, width-seeking approach from his Borussia Dortmund background, is in theory a better stylistic fit for Areso than for Gorosabel; in practice, though, the 2025-26 minutes split shows that advantage has not yet translated into a clear edge.

Strengths

1. Delivery and end product: a proven creator of danger from wide areas, including tight angles, underlined by a LaLiga Goal of the Season award.
2. Aerial ability: a 74.3% aerial win rate is notably above the norm for a right-back, adding value both defensively and at set pieces.
3. Physical durability: a track record of 37+ official appearances across several consecutive seasons points to a reliable, high-workload physical profile.
4. Big-match and high-stakes experience: over 179 combined career appearances across Bilbao Athletic, Burgos, Osasuna and Athletic’s first team, spanning relegation battles and European competition.
5. Positional versatility: occasional deployment as a wide centre-back gives coaches an extra tactical option.

Weaknesses

1. Has not secured a clear No. 1 role: Gorosabel’s narrow edge in 2025-26 minutes suggests Areso has yet to establish himself as Athletic’s undisputed starting right-back.
2. Limited attacking output in Athletic colours so far: 0 goals and between 1-3 assists (source-dependent) in 2025-26 sits well below his career-best 7 assists at Osasuna in 2023-24.
3. Inconsistent underlying data: notable gaps between sources on appearance counts, yellow cards and cross accuracy make it harder to state a settled performance ceiling with confidence.
4. No experience outside Spanish football: his entire career has been played within the Spanish system (including one season in Segunda División), leaving no direct evidence of how he would handle a different league or football culture.

GegenSports Scout Rating

71/100 — an upper-mid-table La Liga right-back profile built on proven delivery, aerial strength and physical durability; a LaLiga Goal of the Season award suggests genuine quality rather than a one-off moment. What keeps the score from going higher: he has not yet nailed down the clear starting job at Athletic, his attacking output has dipped compared with his Osasuna peak, and the underlying data carries real source-to-source inconsistency. This is GegenSports’ own qualitative scale, not an official institutional rating.

Similar Player Profiles

• Andoni Gorosabel (Athletic Club, Spain) — Areso’s direct rival for the shirt; a similar right-back mould but built around a more conservative, discipline-first game, where Areso leans on forward contribution and delivery.
• Óscar de Marcos (retired, formerly Athletic Club) — Spanish coverage of Areso’s signing consistently framed it as filling the gap left by this club legend’s retirement; de Marcos’ work rate and versatility offer a useful reference point for the role Areso is expected to grow into.
• Stamina-and-delivery right-back archetype — rather than a single direct comparison, Areso’s game maps most closely onto the broader type of La Liga right-back who covers the full width of the pitch for 90 minutes and manufactures chances from tight angles.

Süper Lig Fit

Süper Lig football tends to reward physical stamina, crossing quality from wide areas and aerial duels — all areas where Areso’s profile lines up naturally, and many Süper Lig sides’ use of back-three systems with attacking wing-backs suits his “carrilero” energy well. Realistically, though, the fee Athletic reportedly paid for him in the summer of 2025 and his new contract through 2031 make any near-term move highly unlikely. This section should be read as a profile-fit exercise rather than a live transfer scenario.

Suitable Turkish Clubs (Profile-Based)

• Trabzonspor: a squad that actively uses wide areas and looks for delivery-based chance creation could draw direct benefit from his crossing profile.
• Beşiktaş: paired with an aerially dominant forward line, Areso’s crossing and set-piece delivery could translate directly into goal contributions.
• Galatasaray: a club with a heavy European fixture load could use his versatility as both a right-back and an occasional wide centre-back option.

This is a theoretical fit assessment based on playing profile, not a realistic transfer forecast.

Ideal Teammates

Areso performs best alongside a target forward or winger who times near- and far-post runs well, a right winger willing to drift inside and open space for his overlaps, and a disciplined defensive midfielder who can cover the space he vacates when he pushes forward. That combination lets his delivery and stamina stand out while limiting the defensive exposure that comes with an attack-minded full-back.

Adaptation Score

6/10 — a Spanish-speaking background and a long, proven run at La Liga level lower some of the cultural adaptation risk, but his entire career has taken place within the Spanish system, and he has no senior international caps to draw on. That leaves no direct evidence of how he would handle a genuinely different league or culture, which argues for a cautious middle score rather than a low one.

Cost and Value-for-Money Scenarios

Development Potential

At 27, Areso sits at the physical peak of his career. Growth from here is more likely to come from consistency and securing a settled starting role than from raw physical development. Tightening his crossing accuracy and lifting his attacking output back toward his Osasuna-peak levels are the clearest paths to raising his value further. Given the position’s typical career arc, he should be able to hold his physical peak for the next three to four seasons.

Injury and Fitness Record

The most significant entry on Areso’s injury record is a wrist injury that kept him out from December 2021 to May 2022 — roughly five months, during his first season at Osasuna. Beyond that, records show a short muscle injury in September-October 2021 and a brief muscle issue in February 2024 lasting only a few days. Since the Burgos loan in 2022, he has strung together four to five consecutive seasons of 37+ official appearances, suggesting he settled into a physically stable period after the wrist injury. Older injury records are known to be incomplete across some databases, so any club conducting formal due diligence should review his medical history in more depth.

Non-EU Status and UK Work Permit Analysis

Post-Brexit, any overseas player moving to English football (EU nationals included) is assessed under the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) points system. Areso has never earned a senior Spain cap — his international experience is limited to Spain’s U18 and U19 sides and a single Basque Country representative appearance — which puts him in a notably more uncertain position than a regular senior international when it comes to meeting the automatic GBE threshold. A Premier League move would likely require club-based criteria (league level, percentage of minutes played, club standing, and similar factors) to be assessed instead. This is a general framework, not legal advice, and any real transfer scenario would need a formal review under current UK immigration rules.

Suitable Leagues

• La Liga (his current league, ideal fit — his entire career has been played here)
• Serie A (a league culture that values physical stamina, crossing quality and widespread use of back-three systems)
• Bundesliga (high-tempo, width-seeking football — also the tactical culture new head coach Terzic comes from)
• Süper Lig (physical/aerial/crossing fit exists; realistic likelihood is low)

Sporting Director Summary

Jesús Areso is a proven, La Liga-tested right-back whose calling cards are stamina and delivery from wide areas, underlined by a LaLiga Goal of the Season award. His main risk is that he has not yet locked down a clear starting role at Athletic, and the statistical picture around him carries real source-to-source variance. His new contract through 2031 and the fee Athletic just paid make him a poor near-term transfer target — he is better read as a reference point for “what profile fits” in the Süper Lig conversation than as a live target today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Jesús Areso?
A Spanish right-back, born in 1999 in Navarre, who currently plays for Athletic Club.

2. What position does Areso play?
Primarily right-back; some sources also list him as a wide centre-back option in a back three.

3. When does his contract expire?
30 June 2031, with Athletic Club.

4. What is his market value?
Estimates range roughly from €7m to €9.6m depending on the tracker — below the €12m fee Athletic reportedly paid for him in 2025.

5. Has Areso played for the senior national team?
No — he has capped experience only at Spain U18, Spain U19 and with the Basque Country representative side.

6. What is Areso’s most memorable career moment?
A goal scored for Osasuna against Getafe on 21 January 2024, struck from an almost impossible angle on the byline, later voted LaLiga’s Goal of the Season 2023-24.

7. When and how did he move to Athletic Club?
In July 2025, from Osasuna, for a fee reported in the press at €12 million, on a contract through 2031.

8. Could he move to the Süper Lig?
Unlikely in the short-to-medium term given his new contract and the fee Athletic just paid for him.

9. Could he play in England?
With no senior caps, he would likely need to qualify through club-based GBE criteria rather than an automatic national-team route — this is not a legal determination.

10. How does he compare to Andoni Gorosabel?
Gorosabel plays a more conservative, discipline-first game, while Areso leans more on forward contribution and delivery; Gorosabel edged him narrowly in minutes played in 2025-26.

11. Had Areso played for Athletic Club before?
Yes — he came through Bilbao Athletic, the club’s reserve side, making 77 league appearances between 2017 and 2021, before returning to the first team in 2025.

12. What is his biggest weakness right now?
Limited attacking output in Athletic colours so far, and not yet having secured a clear starting role amid squad competition.

13. How old is he and how long can he play at the top level?
27 years old — right-backs typically remain effective into their early-to-mid thirties.

Related GegenSports Content

• Andoni Gorosabel Scout Report: Athletic Club’s Right-Back
• Daniel Vivián Scout Report: Athletic Club’s Homegrown Enforcer
• Aitor Paredes Scout Report: Athletic Club’s Ball-Playing Young Centre-Back
• Yeray Álvarez Scout Report: Athletic Club
• Álex Padilla Scout Report: Athletic Club’s Goalkeeper

Sources

• Athletic Club Official Website — athletic-club.eus
• Wikipedia — Jesús Areso (footballer)
• Fichajes.com — Jesús Areso statistics and career profile
• Sofascore / WhoScored — match-level performance data
• Soccerway — career and injury history database
• ESPN — player profile and match records
• EITB.eus / NoticiasDeNavarra.com — Getafe goal and LaLiga award coverage
• Deia.eus / BilbaoHiria.com — right-back competition and squad dynamics coverage
• Tribuna.com / Yahoo Sports / AllFootballApp — transfer fee and contract details coverage