Villarreal loan Willy Kambwala to Osasuna for 2026/27 | OneFootball

Villarreal have sent Willy Kambwala on loan to Osasuna for the 2026/27 season. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the centre-back will spend the campaign with the Pamplona club.

The French-Congolese defender leaves La Cerámica after Villarreal weighed up two options. Keep him for a year featuring La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, or find him a club where he could play regularly after almost an entire season out.

The club chose the latter, and Kambwala joins Osasuna to reinforce their defence on a temporary deal. Osasuna had pushed hardest for his signature and have now secured it.

His situation was shaped by the volume of centre-backs available to Iñigo Pérez. Before his departure, Villarreal had Juan Foyth, Renato Veiga, Pau Navarro, Logan Costa and Kambwala for the position.

Despite the exit of the former Manchester United player, the coach still has four reliable options and can call on academy players if required. Both Logan Costa and Kambwala missed almost all of last season through injury, a factor in the initial debate over depth and minutes.

Villarreal believe a loan can speed up Kambwala’s return to peak sharpness, with Osasuna offering a Primera División platform for consistent minutes. It also eases a crowded department without cutting ties with a young player who retains room to grow.

With this resolved, attention at Villarreal now turns to midfield for the remainder of the transfer window. The squad is seen as largely complete, though the option to add a central midfielder remains open.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”