Granada have taken Real Madrid centre-back Jesús Vallejo on loan for another season. The 23 year old moved to Los Carmenes on a temporary deal in January and is now set to spend the entire 2020/21 season with the Andalusian club as they embark on their maiden European adventure.
El #Granada y el @realmadrid acuerdan la cesión de @JesusVallejo por una temporada.
ℹ️ https://t.co/7EKKV3PAuH#VallejoNazarí pic.twitter.com/iyhKVtIhJy
— Granada CF ❤️⚪️ (@GranadaCdeF) August 18, 2020
DONE DEAL – Jesús Vallejo loaned back to Granada
- Parent Club: Real Madrid
- Loan Expiry: 30th June 2021
- Position: Central Defender
- Age: 23
- 2019/20 LaLiga Stats: 11 Appearances | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
The return of Jesús Vallejo will bolster Diego Martinez’s options in central defence. Much will depend on how they get on in the Europa League qualifying rounds but if Granada can make it through to the group stage, then it promises to be a very busy start to the season for El Graná with two games almost every week for several months. That will put a strain on what is a relatively small squad but Martinez will be hoping Vallejo can step up and stake a claim for a regular starting berth in the heart of his defence.
2019/20 was to a large extent a season to forget for Vallejo. His loan move to Premier League side Wolves ended prematurely in January with the Spaniard barely featuring for the Molineux club. He saw a bit more action for Granada, making 7 starts in LaLiga but still predominantly played a back-up role with German Sanchez and Domingos Duarte enjoying strong campaigns in the heart of defence.
A ‘make or break’ season for Vallejo?
Vallejo’s contract at Real Madrid runs until 2025 but after a difficult 2020/21 season, he really needs to step up and make a much bigger impact for Granada this term if he is to have any long-term future at the Bernabeu. This is the fifth time he has been loaned out since signing for Los Blancos in 2015 and it’s fair to say he hasn’t quite kicked on as many in the Spanish capital were hoping.
This may be Vallejo’s last chance to convince Zinedine Zidane, or whoever the Real Madrid coach may be next summer, that he is capable of making the grade at the current Spanish champions. Another unconvincing campaign will most likely mark the end of his Madrid career.
