A Gerona native who doesn't mince words and an Eastern giant, the first moves of the coming Girona

GironaGirona does not know much about the future, pending a present that forces them to win this Friday against Mallorca at Montilivi (9 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) if they do not want serious problems in a League finale more typical of the Second Division than the First, with a lot of teams involved in the fight to avoid relegation. Míchel's men are fifteenth and have a four-point lead over Sevilla, who are in eighteenth place, the last marked in red. Seventeenth, three points behind the Geronans, the Balearic islanders also need victory at any price. The match has not even started and tension is already palpable in the city.

Practically no one in the club is thinking beyond today. In fact, there are many issues to resolve within the organizational structure. As things stand, Girona not only doesn't know which category they will play in, but they also have no idea who their coach will be, because Míchel's contract is ending and he is not saying anything about his intentions. There are also a lot of players whose contracts are ending, including the legend Cristhian Stuani, and others will return to their clubs after their loan spells. Between them, practically half the squad will say goodbye soon.

But not everyone is blind, because the sporting area, aware of the huge task ahead in a World Cup year, is trying to get things done before the next transfer window opens. The World Cup is an event that does not help to speed up operations, but rather causes the opposite effect. Girona wants to get ahead of potential setbacks and minimize what has happened in recent years, when they did not manage to complete all their business during the final sprint of the market.

Two names appear in capital letters regarding possible reinforcements for Girona 2026-27, Izan González and Oleksandr Pyshchur. Negotiations with the blanenc player began during the winter transfer market, while the final offensive for the Ukrainian came a few weeks ago. Míchel himself admitted that he was a player who, if he ends up signing, will do so for the first team, given the rumors that suggested he could be a strategic signing for the reserve team.

A wanderer and a considerable height

The midfielder Izan González is the sensation of Girona football. He started the season shining on loan at Europa under the guidance of Aday Benítez in Primera RFEF, but at the end of January, Cornellà, the team that owns his rights, cut the loan short and sent him to Granada to try professional football after paving the way for a future transfer to Girona in the summer. González has a market value, according to Transfermarkt, of one million euros, and has already played thirteen matches in Segunda, in which he has scored one goal and provided one assist.

In contrast, little is known about Pyshchur, beyond the fact that he has all the makings to extend the relationship between Ukraine and Girona. The striker's market value is very low (250,000 euros) and he plays for Eto in the Hungarian league, where he has scored two goals in 23 matches. According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal will be closed for one million euros and he will become the fifth Ukrainian to step onto Montilivi, after Tsygankov, Dobvyk, Krapyvtsov, and Vanat.

Two curiosities, one for each side. González, who sports long hair and admits to never cutting his hair ("only the tips, and once in a while", he has said in some interviews), has played in each national category –and some formative ones– at a different club: Primera Juvenil (Ca La Guidó), Liga Nacional (Llagostera), División de Honor (Cornellà), Tercera RFEF (L'Escala), Segunda RFEF (Cornellà), Primera RFEF (Europa), and Segunda División (Granada). His final step should be with Girona, in the elite.

Pyshchur's case is not about where he has played, but about his height: he measures 2.04 meters and is considered one of the tallest strikers in the world. Taking the city's men's basketball team, Bàsquet Girona, as a reference, Pyshchur is taller than fourteen of the seventeen players on Moncho Fernández's team. He would only be shorter than Juan Fernández (2.10 m), Martinas Geben (2.08 m), and James Karnik (2.06 m).

Other potential signings

González and Pyshchur are not the only potential signings to land at Montilivi. Various media outlets have reported interest in forward Heittor (Palmeiras) and midfielder Lira (Cruz Azul), who would arrive via City Group, and attacking midfielder Bilal Nadir (Marseille). Girona's machinery has already been activated.