Manchester United defender, Willy Kambwala, has completed a full transfer to Villarreal following his first-team debut last season.
The 19-year-old has signed a long-term contract with the Spanish club until 2029.
Kambwala made just ten appearances for United in 2023/24, largely as a result of a defensive crisis that saw Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans all miss games at various points in the campaign.
Varane left the club as a free agent, thought to be joining Como in Serie A. But Evans has agreed to a contract extension and United are expected to recruit at least one, possibly two, new defenders this summer, with Matthijs de Ligt. , Jarrad Branthwaite and Leny Yoro were all targets.
United’s statement on Kambwala read: “Willy leaves with the sincere thanks of everyone at Manchester United, and our best wishes for the next chapter of his career.”
The Frenchman will be hoping for a move to Villarreal, where he will link up with United defender Eric Bailly, giving him a greater chance of consistent game time.
Kambwala was born in DR Congo but moved to France with his family at the age of five. His career began at a local club in Paris, before spending time at Sochaux and then moving to Manchester to join United’s academy in October 2020 shortly after turning 16.
He was a regular in the Premier League 2 and UEFA Youth League in the first half of last season, but was promoted to the first-team squad in December and played 84 minutes in the Premier League defeat to West Ham United two days before Christmas.
Other starts were against Liverpool and Bournemouth in April, while Kambwala also appeared as a substitute against Manchester City, Arsenal and others. In the FA Cup, he was not used as a substitute in the final against City at Wembley in late May.
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