Núñez

The 25-year-old centre-back from Portugalete is one of our own, having come through the Lezama academy.

A defender’s defender, Unai enjoys a physical challenge and loves going up against LaLiga’s biggest and toughest strikers. But he also has the brains to match his brawn, he has an impeccable sense of positioning and is always where his teammates need him to be in order to snuff out danger.

He made his first-team debut in 2017-18 under former coach Kuko Ziganda, making 33 appearances in LaLiga that season.

The competition for centre-backs births at Athletic Club is tough with four top-class players competing for a place in the starting XI, and although Unai had limited chances last season, what is not in doubt is that he has the quality to emerge again.

Nuñez has made a total of 116 appearances for the first team over the past five seasons, scoring three times.

His performances have also seen him gain international recognition. He was a member of the Spain Under-21 squad that won the European Championships in 2019 and he made his debut for the full side in September 2019, coming on as a substitute in a 4-0 win against the Faroe Islands.

Unai's contract runs until 2025 and does not contain a release clause.