Last season, Miguel de la Fuente jumped aboard a moving train when he joined UD Almería during the January transfer window. This time, however, the striker is a permanent member of the Club after the Club exercised their purchase option.

'Pre-season is vital because you get to work from day one with the team-mates you'll be with all year,' he said. 'As for me, I'm going to try to improve on everything you saw from me last season: more goals and even more hard work.'

Although De la Fuente spent the final 6 months of last season at the Club, he still feels like one of UD Almería's new signings ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. 'I do see myself as a new signing, although after 6 months here it sounds a bit strange,' he joked with a laugh.

The extended campaign, which ended later than most due to the promotion play-offs, has had its drawbacks, but the forward prefers to focus on the positives: 'Personally, I'm feeling physically very good. We had fewer holidays than most teams because our season finished later, but that also means we've kept our rhythm better than others. On a personal level, I'm feeling great.'

UD Almería now enter the final 2 weeks of pre-season before the league campaign begins, with the first 3 points of the season already firmly in their sights. 'We're adapting very quickly to the new head coach's ideas and I reckon you'll see that reflected once the league starts. They've brought in signings with a lot of experience, and they'll help us achieve our objective. We're approaching the season with positivity, excitement and the desire to get our first home win.'

Finally, with several team-mates trying to interrupt his interview by singing in the background, De la Fuente ended with an optimistic message: 'It's gonna be a great season.'