Official: Leao defensive midfielder Nicolás Fonseca has joined Real Oviedo on loan for half a season.

Real Oviedo has officially announced the loan signing of Uruguayan defensive midfielder Nicolás Fonseca from León, also part of the Pachuca Group, for half a season. The club has not yet disclosed whether his contract includes a buy-out clause.

With Real Oviedo currently at full capacity, Fonseca will not be able to make an immediate appearance after joining the club. The club needs to clear out surplus players to complete the necessary registration procedures, and Romanian goalkeeper Horatiu Mordovan and French midfielder Brandon Domingos are both potential departures.

Nicolás Fonseca, 27, is the son of former Uruguayan international Daniel Fonseca, but his professional career began at Italian Serie C powerhouse Novara. As a product of Novara's youth academy, he has made 20 appearances for the team since his debut in May 2018, without scoring or assisting.

In October 2021, Fonseca returned to South America after becoming a free agent. He played for River Plate Montevideo, Rovers Montevideo, and River Plate again, making a total of 84 appearances, scoring 2 goals and providing 4 assists, and winning an Argentine Super Cup with River Plate.

In January 2025, Fonseca transferred to León in the Mexican Liga MX for €2.14 million. His initial intention in joining León was to compete in the 2025 Club World Cup, but León was banned from participating because he and Pachuca belonged to the same owner.

To date, Fonseca has made 35 appearances for Leão, but has not contributed a goal or assist. His lackluster performance has led Leão to put him on the trading block, even though his contract was originally set to expire in June 2028.

Meanwhile, Fonseca himself has always had a strong interest in returning to European football. He came very close to joining Valencia this summer, but the deal fell through at the last minute.

Prior to finalizing this loan deal, Leon had received a formal offer from Inter Miami. The reason the two sides failed to reach an agreement was that Leon's owner, Pachuca Group, considered Inter Miami's offer to be less than ideal.