Contacts between WiZink and Unicaja have been under way since at least April. Talks remain open, and no deal has been announced. Iheb Nafaa has left the chief executive role for personal reasons, and President Joaquim Saurina is taking over his executive duties as the banks discuss a possible operation. El Confidencial and Europa Press describe the contacts as ongoing; neither has reported a binding agreement or final decision.
El Confidencial reports that Unicaja has engaged PwC as financial adviser and Uría Menéndez as legal adviser for the potential operation involving WiZink.
This is familiar territory for Saurina. He previously took on executive duties during an earlier transition, before Nafaa arrived in 2023, and worked with Nafaa on the strategic plan WiZink is now carrying out.
Saurina's return keeps the bank's management on its existing path while putting him in charge of an unresolved corporate discussion. The president is now handling both roles.
WiZink's financial position remains difficult. The bank posted a net loss of 3.07 million euros in the first half of 2026, 55% lower than in the same period a year earlier, information from Banco de España statistics reviewed by Europa Press.
Europa Press has reported that Unicaja previously described the contacts as preliminary conversations. Public reports have not established whether the discussions concern 100% of WiZink or only part of its consumer-finance or card business.
The smaller loss came without higher revenue. Gross margin, used here as the measure of total income, reached 146.3 million euros between January and June, down 1.6% from a year earlier.
Net interest income fell 0.4% to 131 million euros, while net commission income dropped 10% to 14.8 million euros.
The figures put the handover in context. WiZink is cutting its losses, but total income and commission revenue are both lower. The bank focuses on consumer credit and is carrying out its strategic plan across Spain and Portugal.
The publication has also covered leadership departures in other fields in its earlier coverage. The WiZink case differs in its immediate corporate setting: the departing executive is the CEO, and the president is taking control while talks with Unicaja continue.
Saurina has described his appointment as a commitment to continuity and the existing roadmap. He is expected to focus on the strategic plan and customers, with sustainable growth in Spain and Portugal as an objective.
No change to the plan or the negotiations has been announced. WiZink is entering this phase with authority concentrated in one person; it has announced no change of strategy.
The lower loss is a real improvement, but falling income and commission revenue still point to pressure on the business. With the Unicaja talks unresolved, Saurina's appointment signals continuity at a sensitive point for the bank; it does not show that a deal has been reached.
