Canales signed with Racing Santander through June 2028, returning to his hometown club 16 years after leaving, the club announced.
Analysis:
Canales comes back to the Campos de Sport with an impressive resume that includes 384 La Liga appearances, more than 40 in European competition, 48 in the Copa del Rey and 11 caps with the Spanish national team. The Santander-born midfielder came through Racing's academy before making his debut at just 17 years old in the UEFA Cup against FC Honka in 2008, going on to make 39 appearances and contribute seven goals and six assists before his departure in 2010. He subsequently represented Real Madrid, Valencia, Real Sociedad and Real Betis, winning the Copa del Rey with both Real Madrid and Betis, before spending the last three seasons with Monterrey in Mexico. At 35, Canales returns to his roots at a significant moment in the club's history, with Racing having just secured promotion to La Liga, and his experience and technical quality give the Cantabros a highly accomplished option in the center of the park heading into their first top-flight campaign in years.
