Málaga complete permanent signing of Juan Berrocal

Málaga CF have moved to the finish line on a late-window deal: Juan Berrocal is set to join the club on a permanent basis. The 27-year-old centre-back arrives from Getafe, after the negotiations were first outlined by Matteo Moretto and later verified by Sport.

The report links the push for a new defender to ongoing issues in the centre of the back line. Málaga’s sports leadership, led by Loren Juarros, had to respond to the situation of Fernando Calero and Murillo, both ruled out for at least until after the first international break (with the expectation of an earlier return for Calero than for Murillo).

Centre-back shortage

With that uncertainty, the starting roles have been handled by Einar Galilea and Recio, while Álex Pastor—who has come back after a year out—has remained as the main central option in reserve.

Bringing Berrocal in adds depth and should bring more certainty to a spot where Málaga could otherwise struggle to manage availability. The player, who spent last season on loan at Atlanta United, made 20 appearances, and Getafe had decided not to retain him.

An old name returns

The article also notes that Berrocal was previously on Málaga’s radar back in 2021, when they were in Segunda, but that earlier attempt didn’t materialise and he ended up at Sporting de Gijón instead.

With this deal now completed, the next step is for Málaga to integrate him into their defensive plans as injured teammates move towards their return.