Nigerian striker Umar Sadiq has been removed from Real Sociedad’s pre-season squad that’s heading to Japan. This decision raises more questions about his future at the Spanish club.

The 28-year-old joined Real Sociedad in 2022 from Almería for about €20 million. But since then, he has not performed as expected and has found it hard to make a real impact.

Reports in Spain suggest that the team’s new coach, Sergio Francisco, does not consider Sadiq as part of his future plans. This has made his position at the club even more uncertain.

Adding to the concern, Sadiq was not included in the squad for a recent friendly match against French team Pau FC.

According to the Spanish newspaper Levante-EMV, this move clearly shows that coach Francisco has no plans to use Sadiq in the new season. This could mean that the striker’s exit from the team is getting closer.

The same report added that it’s not likely Sadiq will return to Real Sociedad for now. However, there is still interest in him, and a transfer may happen later in the summer.

Valencia is one of the clubs showing interest in Sadiq. But they may wait until the end of the transfer window, as that could make the deal cheaper.

Sources close to the club revealed that Real Sociedad is already working on finding a solution for the striker. Sadiq still has two years left on his contract.

Last season, Sadiq played on loan at Valencia during the second half of the campaign. While there, he had a bit of a comeback, scoring six goals in 19 matches.