In his assessment this Monday, the sports director of Elche CF, Mantecón, outlined a clear objective for the winter window: refresh the staff to meet tougher physical demands. The club signaled a willingness to let seasoned players go to make room for a younger, more dynamic group under the guidance of coach Sebastian Beccacece. Fidel Chaves, Sergio León, and Edgar Badia were among the veteran names that exited as part of this strategic thinning, with new arrivals stepping in to reshape the roster.
Mantecón stressed that January brought a noticeably different squad: by his measure, a unit that is closer to the needs of contemporary competition, more varied in profile, and significantly younger overall. The changes were not random; they reflect a deliberate risk management aimed at long-term sustainability and higher pace across every position on the pitch. The club’s leadership believes this balance will better withstand the schedules and the physical toll of a demanding campaign.
Among the six departures were Edgar Badia, 31, Álex Martín, 26, Sergio León, 35, Fidel Chaves, 34, Raúl Guti, 27, and Lautaro Blanco, 24. The reinforcements included Matías Dituro, 36, Manu Nieto, 25, Arnau Puigmal, 23, David López, 21, Jhegsoon Méndez, 26, and Sergio Bermejo, 26. Overall, the average age dropped from 29.5 to 26.1 with the new arrivals. Dituro remains the oldest member of the squad at 36, a veteran presence in a youthful ecosystem.
From a broader perspective, the club’s workforce did not experience dramatic changes, but the average age shifted from 26.15 before the winter market to 26.9 after the January window, indicating a careful recalibration rather than a wholesale overhaul. Elche elicits a clearer path by integrating nine players aged 23 or younger, a batch that includes John Chetauya (23), Salinas (23), Puigmal (23), Nico Castro (23), Carreira (23), David López (21), and promising youths Rodrigo Mendoza (18), Javi Pamies (20), and Adam Boyar (20). Boyar has already made his first-team debut this season, signaling readiness to contribute at a higher level.
Veterans aged over 30 still feature prominently in the roster, including Dituro (36), Mario Gaspar (33), Pedro Bigas (33), Clerc (31), Óscar Plano (32), and Josan (34). The mix of experience and youth aims to preserve leadership within the squad while accelerating the development of younger talents who can grow into key roles in the coming seasons.
In a related note, Elche’s players were seen in training on Tuesday as part of a routine session that kept the focus on building chemistry among the reconfigured group. This preparatory phase is crucial to integrating the new faces into a coherent system that Beccacece has outlined for the squad. The emphasis remains on maintaining fitness, tactical adaptability, and a resilient defensive and offensive balance that can withstand the rigors of a demanding schedule.
Age distribution at Elche is now clearly skewed toward younger cohorts, with Matías Dituro at the high end of the spectrum and several players in their early twenties stepping into more prominent roles. The club’s strategy is evident: cultivate a core of emerging talents who can grow with the club while preserving a backbone of experienced players who can guide and stabilize the squad during the transition. This balance is designed to maximize both short-term competitiveness and long-term potential, a calculation that many observers view as a prudent path for sustaining progress in the coming seasons.
Details on the precise ages of players currently on the books reflect a deliberate weighting toward younger profiles. Dituro, 36, stands alongside a group averaging in the mid-twenties, with several players in their early twenties and a handful approaching their mid-twenties. The result is a roster that blends the discipline and consistency of veterans with the energy and hunger of younger prospects, a combination many believe can yield tangible on-field dividends in the near term.
Elche’s January movements, described by the club’s leadership as a controlled, strategic refresh, appear to position the team to meet the physical demands of a modern league schedule. The focus on youth development, coupled with the presence of experienced players who can lead by example, is framed as a durable approach to building a competitive, sustained squad that can compete for points and progress through each phase of the season.
As the team advances through the mid-season period, the data on departures and arrivals will be revisited to assess the impact of the changes. The overarching message from Mantecón remains clear: the squad has become more complete, more diverse, and younger, with the potential to sharpen performance while extending the club’s competitive horizon. The January window thus serves not merely as a reaction to immediate needs but as a strategic realignment in service of longer-term goals for Elche CF.
AGES OF ELCHE PLAYERS:
Matías Dituro 36
San Rome 26
Mario Gaspar 33
Pedro Bigas 33
Carlos Clerc 31
Diego González 29
Sergio Carreira 23
José Salinas 23
David Lopez 21
Josan Ferrandez 34
John Chetauya 23
Cristian Salvador 29
Jhegson Mendez 26
Nico Fernández Mercau 24
Aleix Febas 28
Nico Castro 23
Rodrigo Mendoza 18
Sergio Bermejo 26
Arnau Puigmal 23
Tete Morente 27
Javi Pamies 20
Adam Boyer 18
Oscar Plan 32
Murad 25
Borja Garces 24
Manu Nieto 25
AGES OF PLAYERS LEAVING THE WINTER MARKET:
Edgar Badia 31
Alex Martin 26
Sergio Leon 35
Fidel Chaves 34
Raúl Guti 27
Lautaro Blanco 24