ELCHE NEWS

Pol Lirola - Loaned to Elche Lirola has joined Elche on a season-long loan with the option to buy from Marseille, the club announced Friday.

Impact Lirola tallied three goals and six assists in 73 appearances in all competitions during his 18-month stint in France, but the arrival of Jonathan Clauss to Marseille has pushed Lirola to depart the club. The 24-year-old is returning to his native Spain, where he is yet to feature in La Liga after coming up through Espanyol's academy. He will be competing with Helibelton Palacios to be the starting right-back at Elche for this upcoming campaign.

AUGUST 12, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Edgar Badía - Extends contract through 2025 Badia signed a contract extension with Elche through 2025, it was announced Wednesday.

Impact Badia only started in 24 games last season but once he reclaimed the starting job in November he didn't return to the bench until getting rest late in the season. Even with Axel Werner now at the club, Badia remains the most likely to start in goal.

AUGUST 10, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Roger Marti - Joins Elche Marti transferred to Elche from Levante on Thursday. He's signed a four-year contract with his new club.

Impact Marti is one of the better signings made by Elche since ascending to La Liga who can rival or surpass Lucas Boye and Pere Milla when it comes to scoring goals. Until the relegation struggles of last season in which he scored seven times, Marti had found the net at least 11 times over the previous three campaigns. With a better defense behind him, Marti could get back to double-digits if he's given a shot to start. It will still be important to track how much he gets to play in a side that has some decent options in the attack.

AUGUST 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Gonzalo Verdu - Undergoes surgery Verdu underwent successful surgery on an adductor muscle, his club announced Wednesday.

Impact Verdu is likely to miss between one and two months as he recovers from this operation. He started in just 16 games last season after featuring in 33 the year before, so even when he's out it's unlikely that Verdu will be a guaranteed starter. Instead, Diego Gonzalez and Enzo Roco are a solid duo to anchor the defense.

AUGUST 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Carlos Clerc - Joins Elche Clerc joined Elche from Levante on a two-year contract, it was announced Thursday.

Impact Clerc missed the final three months of last season with a knee injury but started in 18 of his 19 appearances before then. He'll now compete with Johan Mojica for the starting spot at left-back heading into his first season with Los Franjiverdes.

JULY 21, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Lucas Boye - Back for preseason Boye (groin) has begun training with Elche in the preseason.

Impact Boye missed much of the final two months of the last campaign with an adductor injury, but he recovered during the off-season and is now fit and ready to begin the new year.

JULY 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Omar Mascarell - Extends contract with Elche Mascarell signed a three-year contract with Elche, his club announced Friday.

Impact Mascarell started in 30 of his 32 appearances last season, making 48 interceptions and logging 46 tackles. It's more likely that Mascarell signed this contract on the expectation he and his club avoid relegation, though it's easier to avoid the drop if one is able to tie down reliable players. Still, Mascarell's value is almost completely defensive so he won't always offer great potential production.

JULY 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Axel Werner - Returns from loan Werner has returned to Elche after a six-month loan to Arsenal Sarandi.

Impact Werner joined Elche last summer and made two appearances in the Copa del Rey before going out to Argentina on-loan in January. The 26-year-old is now back in Spain, where he is expected to be Edgar Badia's backup in goal next season.

JULY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josema - Returns from loan Josema has returned to Elche after a six-month loan stint with Real Valladolid.

Impact Josema's usage dropped off severely in his second La Liga season, so he was sent down to Valladolid in January and made five second division appearances in the campaign. The 26-year-old is back with Elche for now, but he'll be far down the center-back depth chart if he indeed stays with the club.

JULY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Pere Milla - Extends contract with Elche Milla has signed a three-year contract with Elche, the club announced Saturday.

Impact Milla has made 64 La Liga appearances (39 starts) across his last two seasons with Elche, tallying a combined 12 goals and six assists in the competition. The 29-year-old is a versatile option along the attacking line and he has now signed on with the club through the 2024/25 campaign.

JULY 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Javier Pastore - Extends contract with Elche Pastore has signed a one-year contract extension with Elche, the club announced Friday.

Impact Pastore made 13 La Liga appearances (six starts) in his first season with Elche, and the 33-year-old has just signed on for another campaign in midfield.

JULY 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Gonzalo Verdu - Ends season injured Verdu (groin) ended his 2021 campaign injured after missing his last four matches of the season, only recording 16 starts for the season.

Impact Verdu was in the starting XI for the majority of the games he played with 16 starts and 19 appearances. However, the defender started to decrease in playing time with only nine tackles won and 13 interceptions in 19 matches. With the decrease in minutes and reoccurring groin problem, Verdu is likely to miss his starting position for Elche as his defensive talents continue to deteriorate.

JUNE 15, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Pere Milla - Has quiet game in win Milla took a shot in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Getafe.

Impact Milla tallied eight goals and three assists in 32 La Liga appearances (17 starts) this season, playing in a variety of roles from forward to attacking midfield to either wing. The 29-year-old seems to narrowly edge Guido Carrillo and Ezequiel Ponce for a spot in Elche's preferred lineup, but at which position is anyone's guess.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Guido Carrillo - Takes shot in win Carrillo took a shot and made a clearance in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Getafe.

Impact Carrillo scored two goals in 29 La Liga appearances (11 starts) this campaign, never fully solidifying a starting role up front for Elche. The 31-year-old will continue battling with Pere Milla and Ezequiel Ponce for a role alongside Lucas Boye in the front-two next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Lucas Boye - Out for finale with injury Boye missed seven of Elche's last eight matches this season with a groin injury.

Impact Boye tallied seven goals and three assists in La Liga, slightly bettering his numbers from last season (seven goals, two assists in 2020/21) despite a groin injury in April limiting him to just 24 appearances (22 starts) in the competition. The 26-year-old is Elche's top striker when healthy, usually pairing with one of Guido Carrillo, Pere Milla or Ezequiel Ponce in a front-two.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Pablo Piatti - On bench for much of season Piatti was an unused substitute in last weekend's victory against Getafe.

Impact Piatti made just 10 appearances in La Liga this season (three starts), and the 33-year-old doesn't seem to have much of a future with Elche on either wing.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Javier Pastore - Takes two shots in win Pastore took two shots (one on target) and created a chance in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Elche.

Impact Pastore made just his sixth league start of the season last weekend, and it was his first since Jan. 2. The 32-year-old was a rare sighting in Elche's attacking midfield this campaign, just as he was during his three seasons with Roma and even before that in PSG.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Raúl Guti - Takes two shots in win Guti subbed into last weekend's match against Getafe in the 70th minute, and he took two shots and won one of two tackles in the 3-1 victory.

Impact Guti was not able to repeat what was a very good 2020/21 campaign, and he dropped out of Elche's starting midfield lineup with three clean sheets in 31 La Liga appearances (17 starts). At 25-years-old he will be capable of bouncing back from this campaign as he tries to restake his claim for a spot in the XI for next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Omar Mascarell - Takes shot in win Mascarell took a shot on target and created a chance in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Getafe. He also made a clearance, an interception and won one of four tackles in the matc...

Impact Mascarell kept five clean sheets in 32 appearances (30 starts) this campaign in his return to La Liga after five seasons spent in Germany. The 29-year-old established himself as a regular in Elche's midfield and should remain as such next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Helibelton Palacios - On bench in season finale Palacios was an unused substitute in his side's last two games of the season.

Impact Palacios ends the campaign with two clean sheets in 26 La Liga appearances (22 starts) at right back, but the 28-year-old never fully separated himself ahead of Antonio Barragan in the position for Elche.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Johan Mojica - Out for season finale Mojica missed the final two games of the season.

Impact Mojica tallied two goals, five assists and seven clean sheets in 33 La Liga appearances (32 starts) from left back during his first full campaign with Elche, after spending six months on-loan with the club in the second half of 2020/21. The 29-year-old will likely remain the preferred option in the position ahead of Lucas Olaza next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Pedro Bigas - Takes two shots against Getafe Bigas took two shots (one on target) and created two chances in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Getafe. He also made a clearance and two interceptions in the match.

Impact Bigas scored a goal and kept two clean sheets in 19 La Liga appearances (all starts) in his first campaign since transferring from Eibar last summer. The 32-year-old will be competing with Gonzalo Verdu and Diego Gonzalez for ELche's starting center back spot alongside Enzo Roco next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Diego Gonzalez - On bench for much of May Gonzalez was an unused substitute in three of Elche's final four matches this season.

Impact Gonzalez kept four clean sheets in 28 La Liga appearances (19 starts) this campaign, taking a step up in his usage from last season but the 27-year-old is still competing with Gonzalo Verdu and Pedro Bigas to be Enzo Roco's center back partner for next year.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Enzo Roco - Creates chance in win Roco made three clearances and created a chance in last weekend's 3-1 victory against Getafe. He also made an interception in the match.

Impact Roco became Elche's first-choice center back in his first campaign since joining from the Turkish League. He scored a goal and kept four clean sheets in 30 La Liga appearances (29 starts) and the 29-year-old should continue as the top option next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Edgar Badía - On bench in season finale Badia was an unused substitute in Elche's last two games of the season.

Impact Badia kept five clean sheets in 24 La Liga games this campaign, as he retook the starting goalkeeper spot from Kiko Casilla in November. He should remain Elche's no. 1 next season.

JUNE 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE