UAE Team Emirates - XRG to lose Spanish star? Lidl-Trek join race to sign Giro d'Italia stage winner

The future of Igor Arrieta has become one of the most compelling storylines in the transfer market looking ahead to 2027. Although just days ago everything seemed to point towards a renewal with UAE Team Emirates XRG, the arrival of Lidl-Trek in the bidding has completely changed the landscape and now seriously threatens the Spanish rider’s continuity within the Emirati setup.

The 23-year-old is delivering the best season of his career, and his explosive Giro d’Italia has sent his stock soaring across the WorldTour. His stage win at the Corsa Rosa not only opened his account in the top tier, it also definitively confirmed the steep progression he has shown since turning professional.

According to AS, Arrieta already has a renewal offer from UAE Team Emirates, the team he has represented for three seasons. However, he has opted to hear other proposals before making a final decision on his future. That is where Lidl-Trek has moved decisively.

The American squad is reportedly working to bring the Spaniard on board from 2027, in a move with significant sporting and personal dimensions. There he could reunite with Juan Ayuso, with whom he maintains a good relationship from their shared spell at UAE Team Emirates - XRG.

The potential switch also makes sense tactically. Arrieta could once again take on support duties for Ayuso at the Grand Tours, a role he knows well, while still retaining the freedom to chase his own results in selected races and stages.

It is precisely that blend of team value and individual capacity that has made the Navarrese one of the most attractive riders on the market. In recent seasons, Arrieta has shown he is much more than a domestique. His development has been steady across stage races, classics, and mountain days.

Among his standout results are a stage win at the Giro d’Italia this month, plus victory at the 2025 Clásica de Ordizia. He also finished third overall at the AlUla Tour 2026 and at the 2025 Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, underlining his consistency in one-week races.

Add to that a stage second place at Itzulia earlier this season, another runner-up on a stage at the 2024 Cro Race, and yet another stage second at Coppi e Bartali 2025. In the Basque Country, he also took eighth overall at this year’s Itzulia, while at the AlUla Tour he added a stage third. His first significant results as a pro came at the 2022 Vuelta a Asturias, where he was third on a stage and sixth overall.

All that growth has strengthened the sense that Arrieta still has room to keep improving in the WorldTour. At UAE, they view the Spaniard as an important rider for the future and want to keep him within a dominant structure in international cycling. However, competition for his signature has intensified notably after his strong Giro.

Lidl-Trek, for their part, continue to act with ambition in the market and see in Arrieta a highly valuable profile to both reinforce their climbing unit and deepen their Spanish presence within the team. The chance to share leadership and calendar with Ayuso could also prove decisive in negotiations.