Villarreal close to completing deal for former Real Madrid defender

Villarreal have started to prepare for life back in the Champions League, for which they must get Marcelino Garcia Toral’s squad ready. And the second addition is about to be finalised.

Villarreal were very good last season, but it was clear that they had significant deficiencies in defence. 51 goals were conceded, with goalkeepers Luiz Junior and Diego Conde combining for only seven clean sheets across the 38 La Liga matches.

Villarreal close in on loan agreement for Rafa Marin

The quality of Villarreal’s central defensive options have been questioned, but soon, they will be addressed. And that’s because Rafa Marin is set to arrive from Napoli, as reported by Marca.

Marin joined Napoli last summer from Real Madrid, but he struggled to make an impact for the Serie A champions. He made only six appearances across all competitions, and with a similar situation expected in 2025-26, the decision has been made for him to depart.

And his destination will be La Ceramica, with Villarreal have agreed a season-long loan deal with Napoli. A total agreement is expected to be finalised in the coming days, at which point Marin will officially join the Yellow Submarine.

As part of the deal, Villarreal will have the option to sign Marin, whom they tried to sign during the winter transfer window. Next summer, they will be able to keep him at the club on a permanent basis for the price of €12m, which is the value that Napoli paid to acquire with from Real Madrid.

Marin will be Villarreal’s second signing of the summer transfer window, as he prepares to follow current Spain U21 teammate Alberto Moleiro to La Ceramica. The young playmaker has agreed to join from Las Palmas, and the expectation is that he will replace Alex Baena, who is being pursued by Atletico Madrid.