Rico, a 33-year-old left-back from Burgos, arrives as a free agent after his contract at Getafe expired on 30 June, signing a one-year deal with a âŹ10 million release clause after passing a medical at the ClĂnica Universidad de Navarra.
He becomes Osasuna's second signing of the summer after winger Jonathan Dubasin, and will compete with Abel Bretones to fill the void left by Javi Galån's departure, having come through the Burgos youth system before spells at Zaragoza, Leganés, Bournemouth, Real Sociedad and finally Getafe, where he made 185 top-flight appearances across his career, along with 39 in the Premier League and nine in the Europa League.
"Osasuna is a huge club, I've spent my whole career playing against them. People who've played here have always spoken well of the team and of how well it fits with the city, and in the end it's a big step for me," Rico said.
"I hope to bring experience and help as much as possible with humility and hard work to achieve our goals."
He added that the testimony of former team-mates had been decisive in his decision.
"In the end you weigh up everything people tell you, because they've shown themselves to be a great team in recent years. The fans push hard and it's a bit of everything."
Hours later, Osasuna moved again, confirming the signing of centre-back Rockson Yeboah from IFK Göteborg in a deal worth around âŹ3 million. The 22-year-old Ghana international, who stands 1.9m tall, has signed a five-year contract carrying a âŹ30 million release clause, with the Swedish club retaining a 30 per cent sell-on interest in any future transfer.
Yeboah made 20 appearances in the Allsvenskan and Swedish Cup last season plus three in Conference League qualifying this summer, having joined Göteborg from Ghanaian side Young African Promises in 2024, and is due in Pamplona within hours to begin working under head coach Luis Miguel Ramis.
Sporting director Braulio VĂĄzquez had signalled earlier in the window that three or four further signings were possible, and the Yeboah deal in particular arrived with little advance speculation, described by reporters covering the club as a deliberately low-key operation completed away from the transfer rumour mill. Both additions strengthen a defence that will need to cover three competitions this season, giving Ramis fresh options at both full-back and centre-back heading into the new campaign.