Real Madrid defender Rafa Marin is reportedly on the brink of signing for Napoli.
On the back of a La Liga and Champions League double, there is considerable change occurring at the Santiago Bernabeu right now as Carlo Ancelotti attempts to finalise his squad for next season.
While Endrick and Kylian Mbappe are each arriving at Los Blancos, veteran duo Nacho Fernandez and Joselu have each completed transfers to the Middle East.
With Nacho ending his long-term association with Real, Ancelotti is currently a centre-back short ahead of 2024-25, creating a scenario where an academy graduate could have been promoted into the senior ranks.
Marin appeared to fit that mould, the 22-year-old having just made 27 starts and six substitute appearances in La Liga on loan at Alaves.
However, rather than be used by Real, it appears that the player will instead be plying his trade in Serie A next season.
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Marin to make Napoli switch
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Napoli have agreed to purchase the Spain Under-21 international in what appears to be a complex deal.
Romano says that the Italian giants have agreed to pay €12m (£10.2m) to sign Marin on a permanent basis, albeit with buy-back clauses in place.
Although Napoli would be guaranteed to keep Marin for a minimum of two years, Real will reportedly have the option to re-sign him for €25m (£21.2m) in 2026.
That figure would increase to €35m (£29.6m) if Real leave it a further year, but Napoli are said to be able to increase their own outlay to increase the buy-back fees.
If Gli Azzurri wish to pay an extra €10m (£8.5m) in 2025, Real would then need to shell out €50m (£42.3m) in 2026 or €70m (£59.3m) a year later.
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Are Real likely to activate either clause?
Naturally, much will depend on how Marin fares during his time in Italy, that being uncertain given that 2023-24 represented his first season of senior action.
Prior to that, Marin had featured on 69 occasions for Real's Castilla side without earning an opportunity to play for the first team.
One factor that may work in Marin's favour in the future is Real starting to lose homegrown talent, which is required to meet all criteria when it comes to squad registrations.
With Nacho and Joselu each departing the club, Real have seen that number drop by two, and they will now need to navigate that issue over the coming seasons.
