Hapoel Beer Sheva Signs Striker Adrían Ugarriza for Three Seasons

Hapoel Beer Sheva has officially announced the signing of Peruvian striker Adrían Ugarriza to a three-season contract. The 29-year-old forward joins the Israeli champions from Ironi Kiryat Shmona for a transfer fee of approximately one million euros. Ugarriza was the league's second-highest scorer last season, netting 20 goals across all competitions, and began the current season with four goals.

Several clubs pursued Ugarriza, but Hapoel Beer Sheva secured his signature, partly due to their qualification for the Europa League group stage. While Beitar Jerusalem was also interested, the transfer costs proved too high for their owner, Barak Abramov, who instead signed Sean Weissman on a free transfer.

Ironi Kiryat Shmona owner Izzy Sheratzky preferred selling Ugarriza to an Israeli club, as his contract included a significantly lower release clause for foreign teams. Ugarriza himself expressed a desire to remain in the Israeli Premier League. Hapoel Beer Sheva owner Alona Barkat saw an opportunity to strengthen the squad for a busy season.

This signing aligns with Hapoel Beer Sheva's new recruitment strategy of acquiring proven foreign strikers in the Israeli league, following past struggles. The club now boasts three foreign forwards, including Javan ইস্ট (formerly of Hapoel Haifa) and Igor Zlatanović (formerly of Maccabi Netanya), who have demonstrated their capabilities in the league.

Ugarriza expressed his excitement about joining the reigning champions, thanking the professional staff and management for their trust and stating his confidence in achieving the team's goals together.