Real Madrid confirm departure of defender on season-long La Liga loan
- Jesus Vallejo has returned to Granada
- Centre-back spent 18 months with Granada across 2020 and 2021
- Carlo Ancelotti is keen to trim his squad
By Tom Gott
Real Madrid have confirmed that centre-back Jesus Vallejo has joined Granada on a season-long loan.
Vallejo, who joined Real Madrid in 2015, enjoyed an excellent loan spell with Granada in the second half of the 2020/21 season and then signed on for another 12 months, after which he was gleefully welcomed back to the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, he has never been more than a backup option in Madrid. Vallejo played just eight games - a total of 353 minutes - across all competitions in 2021/22 and tumbled even further down the pecking order last season.
Carlo Ancelotti handed Vallejo just four appearances all season for a combined total of 88 minutes and is reported to have informed the 26-year-old that he no longer has a future at the club.
Initial reports suggested Vallejo was prepared to stay at the Bernabeu this season but Real Madrid have now confirmed his return to Granada on a 12-month loan.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
feed
Since joining the club in 2015, Vallejo has managed just 31 appearances for Real Madrid, never managing more in one season than the 12 outings handed to him in 2017/18.
Ancelotti already has four centre-backs at his disposal. Eder Militao, David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger shared the starting spots last season, with new club captain Nacho Fernandez operating as a versatile backup.
Another fringe defender, Alvaro Odriozola, is expected to leave the club this summer as well, having managed just six appearances of his own last season.
A new formation is on the cards for Real Madrid as Ancelotti seeks to maximise the impact of the biggest names in his squad.
LISTEN NOW TO 90MIN'S TALKING TRANSFERS PODCAST
On this week's edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Toby Cudworthand Graeme Bailey discuss Bayern Munich meeting Tottenham over Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson considering leaving Liverpool for the riches of the Saudi Pro League, Levi Colwill's latest Chelsea dilemma, Aston Villa's interest in Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby & more!
If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!