Aitor Paredes

Aitor Paredes Casamichana (born 29 April 2000) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao as a centre-back.

Club career
Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Basque Country, Paredes joined Athletic Bilbao's youth setup in 2010, from Etorkisun Alea GE. He made his senior debut with the farm team during the 2018–19 season, in Tercera División.

Paredes made his debut with the reserves on 6 December 2019, starting in a 0–1 Segunda División B away loss against SD Leioa. Definitely promoted to the B-side in June 2020, he subsequently became a regular starter for the team, playing in 18 matches (play-offs included) of the 2020–21 campaign, scoring once in a 3–0 home success over Barakaldo CF on 3 January 2021.

On 26 May 2021, Paredes renewed his contract with the Lions until 2025. He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 29 August 2022, coming on as a late substitute for Iñigo Lekue in a 4–0 away routing of Cádiz CF. A short time prior to his debut he was the sixth-choice central defender in the squad, behind Iñigo Martínez, Yeray Álvarez, Daniel Vivian, Unai Núñez and Peru Nolaskoain; however, the latter pair departed on loan, and injuries to the others gave Paredes some opportunities (nine starts and seven further appearances from the bench) during 2022–23. From the start of the next season, with Martínez having joined FC Barcelona and Yeray still absent with physical issues, the relatively inexperienced Vivian and Paredes (aged 24 and 23 respectively) formed an effective defensive partnership as the team challenged at the top end of the table, and won the Copa del Rey to end the club's 40-year unsuccessful sequence in the competition.

International career
Paredes featured in the under-18, under-19, and under-21 categories of the Spanish national team. On 30 June 2018, he was proclaimed champion of the Mediterranean Games with the under-18 team coached by Luis de la Fuente, where he was a starter.

On 17 March 2023, he was called up to the under-21s led by Santi Denia. On 2 June of that year, he was called up to the squad taking part in the 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Georgia and Romania; he was part of the starting eleven in five of the six matches at the tournament, including the final against England.

Honours
Athletic Bilbao
 * Copa del Rey: 2023–24

Spain U21
 * UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2023