Some pre-season friendlies are little more than fitness checks. This one carried a bit more weight, because Peio Canales was not just another player in Athletic's summer rotation. He was facing the club where he made his biggest leap last season, and the afternoon in Laredo offered a live reminder of why his return matters.
Last summer, Athletic sent the 21-year-old to Racing so he could gain experience and mature, and the move worked. Canales played 35 of 42 matches, started 33, scored six goals and added nine assists. Those are not the numbers of a passenger. They are the numbers of a player who became central to Racing's season and returned to Bilbao with a much stronger case for a bigger role.
That is exactly why this match matters for Athletic. Under Edin Terzic, Canales has already been tested in several positions during pre-season, and he has played 163 minutes across four friendlies. The club is still deciding where he fits best, but the message is clear enough: he is being assessed as more than depth. He is being asked whether he can turn last season's loan into a real first-team claim.
What the numbers say about Canales
The statistical profile from Racing was strong enough to suggest genuine progression, not just a good spell. Canales logged 35 appearances, 33 starts, six goals and nine assists, which points to both consistency and end product. For a young midfielder, that combination matters because it shows he was not simply collecting minutes; he was influencing games.
By contrast, his first-team record at Athletic shows how hard the next step still is. He made his debut on 29 September 2024 against Sevilla at San Mamés in a 1-1 draw, then went on to play eight matches and 250 minutes in the 2024-2025 campaign, starting only two. That is the basic tension around him now: he has already proven himself in one environment, but he still has to convert that into trust at Athletic.
A useful test for Athletic
For Terzic, this is the kind of pre-season fixture that can reveal more than a comfortable win ever would. Racing know Canales well, Athletic know what he did there, and the player himself is trying to show that he can belong in a more demanding role after limited minutes under Ernesto Valverde. If he stands out against his former club, that will not settle the competition for places, but it will strengthen his argument.
There is also a broader point here. Athletic are not only watching Canales as a promising 21-year-old. They are trying to figure out whether a midfielder who looked so effective at Racing can help them now, not later. Pre-season often produces vague conclusions. This one may offer something firmer: a direct look at a player caught between a successful loan and a possible breakthrough.
That is what makes Racing de Santander Athletic such an interesting matchup. It is not just about one friendly in Laredo. It is about whether a strong loan season can become a real first-team role, and whether Canales can use the evidence from last year to force his way into Athletic's plans this season.
