Defender Abdel Abqar turned down a transfer to Italian side Venezia on deadline day, shattering Getafe CF's plans to finalise their squad. His refusal to take a pay cut blocked the salary cap space needed to register two pre-agreed signings, as reported by Diario AS. The Madrid-based club, currently 14th in La Liga with 3 points, was left with a shorter squad than expected.
Tuesday, September 1st, was a day of high tension at the club's training ground. Getafe urgently needed to sell a high-earning player to comply with La Liga's financial fair play rules and register new arrivals. While they managed to transfer Berrocal to Málaga and Neyou to Greece's Volos, and secured the loan signing of striker Iván Azón from Como, the main goal was to offload a top earner.
Why was Abqar the main candidate to leave?
Abdel Abqar had become the prime candidate to depart the club. The Moroccan centre-back has one of the three highest salaries in the Getafe squad. Furthermore, his sending-off in the first leg of the Conference League tie against Partizan had complicated his situation. His agency, 11MANGMT, responded to rumours by stating that "no such offer existed and that Getafe gave orders to remove the player from the club without his consent, and that in the last days of the market they were told to find an exit." Deportivo Alavés and Sevilla showed interest but backed out due to his high wage demands.
What offer did the defender reject?
The only concrete offer came from Venezia in Italy's Serie A. The Venetian club and Getafe reached an agreement in principle for a transfer worth approximately 5 million euros, including add-ons. However, the deal collapsed at the last minute because Abqar refused to accept the contract offered by the Italian team. The reason was clear: the salary proposed by Venezia was lower than what he currently earns at Getafe. The player also turned down a potential move to Saudi Arabia.
How does this affect the current squad?
The immediate consequence is that Getafe faces the start of the season with a tighter squad than planned. They could not register the two reinforcements they had already agreed upon due to a lack of salary space. Juanmi, another high earner, ultimately stayed at the club after failing to find a buyer and carrying an injury. The team, which qualified for European competition via the Conference League, starts at a disadvantage in the fight for top positions. With just one goal scored and four conceded after three matchdays, the need to strengthen both defence and attack is clear. Check the team's full performance on our stats page.
What is Getafe's next challenge?
The focus must now shift to on-pitch performance. Getafe hosts Celta Vigo on September 7th at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, a key match between two teams fighting to move away from the lower places. The Galician side arrives as the 17th-placed team. A win would be vital for Getafe, who sit six points behind leaders Barcelona. All fixture information is available in our fixtures section. The squad, as currently configured, must prove its worth in this immediate challenge.
