Ander Herrera set to return to Real Zaragoza on one-year deal

One of the businesses Ander Herrera runs alongside football is called Semana Fantástica, a hospitality establishment in downtown Zaragoza that he shares with his former teammate Pablo Alcolea. Paraphrasing the name of that venue, now comes Ander's week at Real Zaragoza — the week of his return to the club.

A Return That Nearly Didn't Happen

This return failed in 2024. Now, as he turns 37 on August 14, Herrera will become the spiritual leader of the project to return the club to the Second Division.

Since June 11, when this newspaper reported that the termination of his contract with Boca Juniors was the passport for his return to Zaragoza, the midfielder has made the most of his stay in Argentina, which he prolonged for bureaucratic and family reasons. This Monday afternoon, he arrives from Buenos Aires to Madrid before heading to his city. That will be the starting signal.

Finalizing the Decision

In recent weeks, Herrera has taken a step back from Argentina and finalized the decision to return — which was already practically made, with retirement being the only other option. The club had already made it very clear that they would open the door for him with the conviction that was lacking two years ago, which caused that feeling of lack of affection that led Herrera to renew with Athletic Bilbao.

Now, with the sporting director and technical secretariat convinced of this return, with the friendship of many members of that part of the club, as well as coach Ibai Gómez — with whom he coincided at Athletic — there were no obstacles. The ownership, after what happened in 2024, has raised no objection to this return. They were not in a position to do so either. The contractual and salary conditions — one year at the minimum in the Primera RFEF category — were not going to be a problem.

A Strategic Signing

Herrera is considered a strategic signing for the present and the future:

• In the present: To contribute on the pitch if his muscle injuries allow — he has suffered up to six injuries, with one relapse, and missed 32 games in a year and a half at Boca. He will also serve as a leader in the locker room, a guide for Zaragocismo, and an example and mindset for the group.
• In the future: It seems clear that he will remain linked to the club once he hangs up his boots.

For now, the focus is on the present and announcing his return, which could come as early as Tuesday. This will be the most special signing of the 10 that Lalo has made this summer, with Herrera becoming the eleventh.

Everything Agreed

Everything has been discussed and agreed with the club. Lalo has already hinted when asked that everything was progressing as planned. The plan is for Herrera to start the preseason on the 20th with the team of his life — the club with which he grew up from the youth ranks before leaving for Athletic in 2011. That transfer, worth up to €11.2 million, was the biggest transfer of a youth academy product, plus €1.5 million in training rights when he left San Mamés for Manchester United in 2014.

Explanations and a Failed Return

Herrera will speak at his presentation in the coming days and will explain his feelings, including what happened in 2024. With Víctor Fernández as coach and Juan Carlos Cordero as sporting director, he ended up not arriving, causing many to turn him from hero to villain in a short time.

"I am where I have been shown affection and importance," he said in October 2024 to justify his decision not to return and to stay at Athletic. "Sometimes in football it's better that not all things are known," he commented in May 2025 when he was already at Boca and was asked about what happened in his frustrated return.

The Dream Fulfilled

This time it will be different. This time, Herrera will fulfill the dream he never hid and proclaimed from the rooftops for a long time — a dream that seemed to be cut short after what happened two years ago: returning home and ending his career in the place that gave him the opportunity to succeed. His career has been of great scope: Athletic, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Boca Juniors, in addition to being a full international. But the team of his heart is Real Zaragoza, and no one can dispute even an iota of his tremendous Zaragocismo.

"As sporting director, if I have a 1% chance of Ander being with us, I will do everything possible for him to be here," Lalo said last June 17 about this return. Ibai Gómez was also very clear in his presentation: "I know that the Zaragoza-Ander union will happen someday, no matter what, I am convinced of it. I think Ander can still contribute many things to a club like Real Zaragoza."

Everything has been prepared for a long time, and the exact and expected steps have been taken. The outcome is now.