Official: Mainz send disaffected fullback Aaron to Spain on six-month-loan
FSV Mainz have announced that their one-time record signing Aaron Martin Caricol will be loaned out to Celta Vigo for the remainder of the season.
A contractual clause once saw Germany's Nullfünfter shell out a combined €9 million to Spanish club Espanyol for left-back Aaron Martin Caricol. The automatic purchase provision, triggered in November 2018, constituted a record transfer sum for the club at the time.
After the highly-touted Spanish youth prospect featured in the Rheinhessen starting XI for roughly another year before falling out of favor with head-coach Acim Beierlorzer. By January 2020, the only spot he regularly occupied was one on the bench.
The player who commonly goes by the simple moniker of "Aaron" received heavy criticism from his then-coach for a lack of effort in training. Manners did not improve after Beierlorzer's sacking earlier this autumn. Interim trainer Jan Moritz-Lichte, who also remarked that the 23-year-old did not appear to be on a starting Bundesliga level.
Having amassed only five appearances--three of which were starts--for his German club thus far this season, it was almost certain that he would be moved during this transfer window. The Spaniard featured on virtually all lists of the club's expendables.
New Mainzer sporting director Martin Schmidt confirmed on Thursday that the club had acceded to the player's transfer request, saying that the loan back to Aaron's homeland fulfilled his request to move to a team where he may find more playing time.
According to the La Liga club's own announcement, the six-month-loan-deal includes a permanent purchase option.