Real Oviedo announced on its official website Thursday that the club has signed Croatia international forward Josip Brekalo, Ivorian international defender Eric Bailly, and Belgium international defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker from Fiorentina, Villarreal, and Aston Villa, respectively.

According to Real Oviedo's official statement, all three players have signed on short-term two-year deals with the club which will only run until the summer of 2027.

About Josip Brekalo

Josip Brekalo, 27, was born on June 23, 1998, in Zagreb, Croatia. He is 1.75 meters tall and primarily plays as a left winger, he can also play as a right winger or center forward.

Brekalo joined Dinamo Zagreb's youth academy at the age of eight and completed his Dinamo Zagreb first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in December 2015 at the age of 17.

During this spell, he helped the club achieve the Croatian Cup and Croatian Prva HNL double.

At the end of May the following year, Brekalo joined Wolfsburg for €10 million.

On the 2017 winter transfer window deadline day, Brekalo joined Stuttgart on a two-year loan. During this spell, he helped the club win the 2. Bundesliga once.

Upon his return from his loan the following summer, Brekalo officially became a key player for Wolfsburg's first-team.

During his four-year spell with Die Wolfe, Brekalo reached the DFB-Pokal quarterfinals twice and the Europa League round of 16s once.

In August 2021, Brekalo was loaned-out to Torino.

In January 2023, Brekalo joined Fiorentina for €1 million. During this spell, he also spent time on-loan at Hajduk Split and Kasimpasa.

During his time with I Viola, Brekalo made 29 appearances for the Serie A powerhouse in all competitions, scoring one goal and reaching the Coppa Italia and UEFA Europa Conference League finals once each.

About Eric Bailly

Eric Bailly, 31, was born on April 12, 1994 in Bangeville, Côte d'Ivoire. He is 1.87 meters tall and plays as a center back.

As a child, Bailly was discovered by Espanyol scouts while attending a tournament hosted by a Spanish football academy in Burkina Faso. After a year of waiting and preparation having successfully obtained a work permit, Bailly officially signed with Espanyol's youth academy.

In the summer of 2013, Bailly began playing for the reserve team, officially promoted to the first-team and made his first-team debut  in October 2014.

In January 2015, Bailly joined Villarreal for €5.7 million. 

Upon joining Villarreal, Bailly immediately established himself as a key player for the club. His defensive prowess was also highlighted and praised by European media outlets and the renowned British football podcast Football Daily on YouTube.

In the summer of 2016, Bailly joined Manchester United for £30 million, becoming Jose Mourinho's first signing.

Initially, Bailly was consistently voted Player of the Month almost every month for his outstanding performances, even scoring his first goal in August 2017. Unfortunately, injuries soon followed, and he was gradually sidelined.

Despite this, Bailly helped the Red Devils win one League Cup, one Community Shield, and one Europa League title during his time there. He was also named in the International Football Statistics Agency's African Team of the Decade (2011-2020) and the Europa League Team of the 2016/17 season. 

In August 2022, Bailly was loaned out to Marseille.

On the summer transfer window deadline day of the following year, Bailly joined Beşiktaş as a free agent, but after just five appearances, he terminated his contract due to a falling-out with the club.

After leaving Beşiktaş, Bailly returned to Villarreal on a free transfer.

Throughout his two stints with El Submarino Amarillo, Bailly made 72 appearances for the La Liga powerhouse in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist.

About Leander Dendoncker

The 30-year-old Leander Dendoncker was born on April 15, 1995 in Passendale, Belgium. He is 1.88 meters tall and primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a center back. His younger brother, Lars, also played professionally for Brighton, but was forced to retire early in 2022 due to a heart condition.

Dendoncker played through the youth academies of Passendale, Roeselare, and Anderlecht as a child, making his Anderlecht first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in the Belgian Super Cup in July 2013.

During his five-year spell at Anderlecht, Dendoncker won the Belgian Super Cup twice and the Jupiler Pro League once with the club.

In August 2018, Dendoncker joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on-loan with an obligation to buy. His rights were officially purchased for €15 million the following September.

During his four-year spell at Wolves, Dendoncker played in the Europa League once with the club.

On the 2022 winter transfer window deadline day, Dendoncker joined Aston Villa for €13 million. However, six-months after joining the Villans, he fell out of favour.

Over the past two years, Dendoncker has been loaned-out to Napoli and Anderlecht, but has struggled at both clubs.

During his time with the Villans, Dendoncker made only 36 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League powerhouse, scoring once.