Villarreal suffered a big blow during the January transfer window, when first-choice goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, who had not long returned from winning the World Cup with Argentina, left the club to join Ajax.
As a result, Pepe Reina was thrust into action as the new number one option, with Filip Jorgensen being his understudy. Although he has not been poor for the most part, Villarreal have struggled to keep clean sheets with the veteran in goal.
As much, they appear to have decided to pursue a new goalkeeper in the summer. Dominik Livakovic has been mentioned, but Marca have now reported that Paulo Gazzaniga is Villarreal’s choice.
Gazzaniga has had a good season at Girona, where he has been on loan from Premier League side Fulham. He is unlikely to get first team football in West London, and a return to Spain looks to be on the cards.
Gazzaniga’s contract at Fulham expires at the end of the season, meaning that Villarreal would not need to fork out a transfer fee to sign him. As such, it is a deal that makes a lot of sense for the Yellow Submarine.