Ismaël Gharbi: "It is a source of pride to be part of the club"

C.D. Leganés presented Tunisian international Ismaël Gharbi as a new pepinero player on Tuesday. The young player, who arrives on loan from Sporting de Braga, expressed his enthusiasm for this new chapter.

The club's director of football, Andrés Pardo, opened the event by welcoming the player: "We are very happy and excited to have him here. He is a player we have known for a long time; he is very young, but at 18 he was playing in Spain's youth categories. PSG, Switzerland, Braga, where he had a very good season. We hope he brings us a lot of joy."

Ismaël Gharbi: "We were convinced that our projects were similar in style"

For his part, Gharbi stated he was "very happy to be here. It is a source of pride to be part of the club, and I want to thank Andrés and the whole club for the opportunity."

The Transfer Process: "I spoke with Andrés and the club, and everything moved very quickly. We were convinced that our projects aligned. I am happy that everything went so smoothly."

Adaptation: "I spoke with the coach. He is the one who decides, but I am ready to play this afternoon if he decides so."

Why Leganés: "I didn't know much about Leganés, though I did about Madrid because my family is from here. I'm coming off a difficult season and what I wanted was a project where I could play, but with a style of play similar to mine. I spoke with the club and they convinced me completely."

A Season with Few Minutes: "It was a tough year, perhaps partly my fault as well. I was in a situation where adaptation was a bit difficult due to the different style of play... My first contact with the coach has been very positive."

What He Hopes to Contribute: "I want to play every match, as much as possible to get the opportunity I need. I hope to contribute all my talent, everything I can do. A lot of hunger and enthusiasm to be here."

How He Defines Himself: "I am a very quiet, humble person. As a player, I believe I have talent, technique, and a great hunger to play, grow, and learn here. I am a player with speed on the ball who can contribute to the team."

World Cup Experience: "Playing in a World Cup was a dream. It was incredible. Afterwards, as a team, we didn't have the best time, but it was a great experience and I learned a lot from that moment. Now I have more experience, which can be good for me and something I can share with the club and my teammates."

Objectives for the Season: "The club's project is ambitious and I like it a lot. I want to have the best season possible and enjoy it."

Andrés Pardo: "We've been watching him for a while now; we have high hopes for him"

Andrés Pardo subsequently answered questions from the media:

Javi Hernández: "There are times when operations seem to accelerate and then stall. It was quite advanced a few days ago and we didn't want to take risks, but until things are finalized, we don't like to speak with certainty. We are waiting to see whether it moves forward or stops."

Signing Teo Bou for the Reserve Team: "The plan for academy players is for them to have a place, settle in, and for us to use them if the opportunity arises."

Possible Signing of Patrick Soko: "Until he is here, we cannot comment. Nothing is certain. In football, there are situations that seem clear and end up falling through. We will speak in detail if it happens."

Diomande: "We are keeping an eye on it. Regarding financial matters, the club will decide, but we are paying attention and hopefully things go well for the kid and whichever club signs him."

International Players: "We are aware of it. When you bet on these profiles to give us a step forward, there are international breaks where some players will not be available. We have to be able to adjust the squad to cover those periods."

Fan Support: "We are very happy that the fans are excited. Then, the ball has to go in. Seeing people excited and viewing what we are doing positively makes us happy."

Few Roster Spots Available: "In the remaining time, there will be exits and arrivals. It is not constraining us; these are adjustments that will be made over time."

Commitment to Young Players: "It is a line we are following in some of our signings. Ismaël is a 22-year-old whom we have been watching for a long time, and when the situation arose, we as a club were very clear about it. We expect a lot from him, we will demand a lot from him, he has great desire and enthusiasm, a very high level, and room to improve and learn. Our goal is to make him better and see the performance we expect, but we must be patient. He has done one session with the group and we have to manage him in the best way possible."

Why Bet on Gharbi: "He is very versatile. We see him in several positions; he can play in many different setups and roles. He understands the game well, could play as a wing-back, an attacking midfielder, on both flanks... His versatility can give us a lot."

Buy Option: "Hopefully. It would mean he has grown here and that we can grow together."