Rafa Marín: Spain’s Next Top Center Back
One year after winning their first Scudetto in over three decades, Napoli languished and suffered a dismal 10th-place finish. The Partenopei went through three different managers and missed out on European football entirely, a title defense that will go down in infamy. However, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and the team’s recruitment department has been hard at work to ensure a swift rebound in 2024/25.
Teenage attacking midfielder Matija Popovic has arrived on a free transfer from Monza and will be looking to fill Piotr Zielinski’s void in the center of the pitch, whilst veteran left back Leonardo Spinazzola has joined on a free transfer from Roma. Desperate to shore up a leaky backline, Napoli have brought in 25-year-old center back Alessandro Buongiorno from Torino for €35 million, whilst Rafa Marín has also joined from Real Madrid for €12 million.
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Born in Carmona, Spain, Marín bounced around various teams like Alcolea, Centro Histórico and Sevilla before leaving Andalusia in 2016 and joining Real Madrid. Marín quickly made his mark at Castilla and worked his way through the youth ranks at Real Madrid and Spain, playing for Spain’s U-17, U-18 and U-21 teams, before eventually deciding to test his skills at the senior level.
Marín joined newly promoted Deportivo Alavés on loan and quickly became one of the first names on the team sheet under Luis García, playing on the left side of the back four alongside Moroccan defender Abdelkabir Aqbar. An aggressive defender who was still measured enough to not give away any childish fouls in dangerous areas, Marín proved vital for an Alavés side that placed 10th in their return to La Liga, finishing 13 points above the relegation zone.
The Basque side scored just 36 goals — the lowest total in La Liga’s top 14 sides — but they staved off the drop comfortably thanks to a resolute backline that was spearheaded by Marín, who turned 22 at the end of the campaign. Marín also proved incredibly effective in possession, completing the most long balls per game (3.1) in Alavés’ squad, whilst only Ander Guevara (29.9) completed more passes per game than Marín (25.5).
The Spanish youth international was excellent at breaking the lines and linking the first and second phase of possession, a player who consistently found his teammates and rarely coughed up possession with a costly giveaway. Indeed, no player completed a higher percentage of passes than Marín (83%) in Alavés’ squad.
Alavés ranked bottom of La Liga for average possession (41.3%) and often had to defend with their backs against the wall and fend off wave after wave of opposition attacks, but they nevertheless punched above their weight and steered clear of the drop. Marín proved essential in his debut season in senior football, defending set-pieces and crosses with aerial fortitude and putting his body on the line time and time again.
Marín made 33 appearances for Alavés, 27 as a starter, and was the third-youngest defender to make 30 appearances in La Liga this past season after Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera and Girona’s Yan Couto. He was constantly alert to the danger and was able to snuff out the threat before it was too late — only Antonio Blanco (1.1) made more interceptions per game in Alavés’ squad than Marín (1.0), whilst he also averaged 1.0 tackles per game.
He was a difference-maker on a weekly basis and was able to hold his composure and step up to the task when called upon, making crucial interventions and preventing his opponents from finding the back of the net. The Spanish youngster averaged 3.9 clearances per game, second only to Aqbar (4.1) in Alavés’ squad, and he was a constant thorn in the side of the opponents.
With Éder Militão and David Alaba recovering from ACL injuries and Nacho Fernández departing on a free transfer, it seemed as though Los Blancos would reincorporate him into the first-team squad. Instead, Carlo Ancelotti’s side chose to pursue Leny Yoro to no avail, and with the Frenchman moving to Manchester United, it seems that Jesús Vallejo will be entrusted with the role of fourth-choice center back.
As for Marín, he looks set to challenge for a place in Napoli’s back three under new manager Antonio Conte. Upon completing his move to Napoli, Marín stated, “I arrived in Valdebebas as a 14-year-old boy, willing to sacrifice everything to be a footballer and with a backpack full of dreams. In this time, I have fulfilled some objectives, but there are many others to conquer. This is just the beginning and we have to keep fighting for them, until the end, as they have taught me at Real Madrid.”
“Being part of and growing within the Madrid family is something unique, which remains inside me forever. Now, it is time to part ways to continue moving forward with everything, with more ambition and more strength than ever. Playing for Napoli is a source of pride, another dream, and it has [something] to do with the work done, also at Alavés.”
Whilst Real allowed Marín to leave for the relatively cheap fee of €12 million, they did insert a buyback clause in his Napoli deal where he can return to Real Madrid in 2026 for a fee of €25 million. Should they neglect to use their option, they could trigger their buyback option for €35 million in 2027. However, if Napoli pay an extra €10 million in 2025, then Real’s potential buyback options would be doubled in the price.
It remains to be seen whether or not Marín will follow in the footsteps of Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez and become the next player to flourish at the Santiago Bernabéu after Real Madrid exercised their buyback clause, but one thing’s for sure: at 22, he is one of Spain’s rising stars in central defense, and he looks set to play a vital role for Napoli as they enter a new era under Conte.
By: Kojo Essamuah / @_sanogo_
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / SSC Napoli