Villarreal in advanced talks for ex-Real Madrid defender | OneFootball

Villarreal are in the market for reinforcements to try and shore up their leaky defense; the Yellow Submarine have the most conceded goals of any team in the top half of the table (30).

Marcelino and co. have set their sights on Rafa Marin, a product of Real Madrid’s youth academy who is currently plying his trade in Serie A with Napoli.

As per Marca, talks between the two parties are at an advanced stage, with Marin set to move to Villarreal on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old’s parent club, Napoli, are unwilling at this point to let their defender leave on a permanent move, hence why Villarreal could only agree a loan deal with the Italian club.

The main purpose of the move from a Napoli point of view is to get Marin some game time, while Villarreal are looking to address their aforementioned defensive frailties.

It would seem with these negotiations at an advanced stage, it will be a matter of when not if Rafa Marin is presented as a Villarreal player, as long as negotiations don’t break down.

GSFN | Ciaran Currie