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Mao Ye and Fran Garagarza talk about summer activity so far
The executives comment on both sporting and financial measures
Mao Ye, CEO of RCD Espanyol, and Fran Garagarza, the club's sporting director, spoke to the media on Thursday to evaluate the work done in the boardroom so far this summer.
The club's highest standing executive avoided speculation and fuelling rumours, emphasising his commitment to "only providing explanations when there are certainties."
"The rumours surrounding the club are not new but rather from years ago. We continue working day by day. We have been doing this for two years with very strict economic rigour, and we want to improve both in the sporting side and financially. Our focus is on our day-to-day work."
Garagarza acknowledged that "we have renewed important players and we have gone through with signing players who we believe can help us. At the club, we are clear about where we want to go and what our objectives are. There was a push ahead before the preseason started, and now there is a gap in which we are looking for signings who are not easy to make happen. There are still almost two months to go before the squad has to be finalised. The excitement being generated seems positive to me, helping us become the Espanyol we have all aspired to be for the past two years. Let's see if we can achieve stability in the top flight."
He also added details on squad roles, including stating that Javi Hernández will be part of the first team's day-to-day operations, comparing it to Antoniu Roca's situation last year.
However, he admitted that negotiations are "in an advanced stage" for Álvaro Tejero's departure.
"We are calm about this, because we have Omar El Hilali and Rubén Sánchez, who is returning after a good year at Granada. In any case, it's not easy to think that you'll have a complete squad by early July."
He also acknowledged that the club will work on the possibility of "loaning out young players so they can take a step forward at another club, before returning here."
Garagarza concluded by clarifying that "as of today, a deal to buy Kumbulla is not viable. He has offers and his value has grown a lot this year. But I don't know what will happen in two weeks."