OFFICIAL: Rafa Marin joins Alaves on loan deal

Real Madrid have announced that central defender Rafa Marin has joined Deportivo Alaves on a loan deal which will expire in the summer of 2024. Marin first extended his contract with Real Madrid and his new deal will end in 2026.

Marin is one of the club’s most promising defenders and he was always going to leave Real Madrid Castilla after the team failed to achieve promotion to Segunda Division. Other teams in La Liga were interested in his signing and Real Madrid considered a regular transfer —keeping an option to bring him back— but ultimately went for the loan deal.

Marin will have a good opportunity to play relevant minutes in La Liga and could be on Real Madrid’s rotation in the 2024-2025 season if he proves his worth. However, it’s also true that Militao, Rudiger and Alaba still have fuel in the tank, so Marin will have to be patient if he wants to play minutes for the first team over the next few years.