Villarreal announced the third departure of the week as the defender terminated the contract
It's been a busy week for Villarreal, at least in terms of exits. Ben Brereton Diaz and Filip Jorgensen have both left for the Premier League, signing for Southampton and Chelsea respectively – they will soon be joined by Jorge Cuenca, who will make the move to Fulham.
Cuenca's departure is not yet official, but in the meantime, Villarreal announced the exit of a separate defender: Aissa Mandi. The 32-year-old Algerian central defender, who made 79 appearances for the Yellow Submarine during his three-year stay, was not in Marcelino Garcia Toral's plans for the new season, and the decision was made to mutually terminate the his contract.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT: @aissamandi23
Villarreal and Mandi have reached an agreement to end the contract of the central defender, who separates from the yellow entity.
The club appreciates his professionalism during his three seasons at Vila-real and wishes him luck in the future. pic.twitter.com/LeYXsZQ99G
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) August 1, 2024
Hours after the announcement, Mandi signed for Lille. He signed a two-year deal with the Ligue 1 side.
The LOSC formalizes today the arrival of the versatile defender, Aïssa Mandi (32), from Villarreal CF (Spain). The Algerian international (97 caps, 5 goals) signed with the Lille club for a period of 2 years, until 2026.
Welcome to LOSC… pic.twitter.com/Q2zfXLzLlx
– LOSC (@losclive) August 1, 2024
Mandi's departure increased the need for a new central defender. One was already looking for due to the imminent departure of Cuenca, so it could be that two end up arriving at Villarreal before the closing of the summer transfer window.
