MADRID, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Spanish La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao on Thursday confirmed they have extended the contract of 24-year-old central defender Yeray Alvarez until the end of June 2026.
The new contract sees the buyout clause on Yeray's contract raised from 30 million to 70 million euros, although that fee could still be accessible for some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Yeray joined Athletic as a 13-year-old and progressed through the youth system before making his first team debut in 2016.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December that year, but was able to return to first team action before the end of the campaign. However, tests in June 2017 revealed further abnormalities and meant he was forced to withdraw from the Spain Under-21 squad to undergo a course of chemotherapy.
The affection he is held in within the Athletic squad was made clear when he returned to training at the end of the summer to discover that the entire first team squad had shaved their heads in a gesture of solidarity.
So far, he has made 64 league appearances with the Athletic first team, as well as 62 with their B-team, and his displays last season, when he was a fixture alongside Inigo Martinez in the Athletic defense, saw him attract interest from other clubs in England and Spain.
"My heart has been red and white (Athletic's colors) since I was a kid and it will be for many more years," said Yeray, adding that "the most important thing about a journey is who to make it with."
