Granada kick off January exodus as Hongla departs for Aris
The Andalusian club begins its winter clearout with Martin Hongla joining Greek side Aris Thessaloniki on loan with obligation to buy, freeing up wage budget for new signings.
Granada CF have finally offloaded unwanted midfielder Martin Hongla to Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, in what appears to be the first move in a planned January clearout at Los Cármenes.
Loan with purchase obligation
The deal wasn’t straightforward and nearly collapsed at points, but Granada have managed to secure an initial loan move for the Cameroonian midfielder. The agreement includes an obligation for Aris to pay €1.3 million in the summer to make the transfer permanent.
Hongla had been pushing for an exit since last summer but couldn’t secure a move away. Despite manager Pacheta’s initial attempts to integrate him into the squad (having previously worked with him at Real Valladolid), the player’s poor performances and questionable attitude quickly saw him frozen out of the team.
The 26-year-old hasn’t featured for Granada in their last 14 matches, making his departure inevitable once the January window opened.
Second spell ends in disappointment
This marks the end of Hongla’s second stint at Granada, where he made 51 appearances but never quite lived up to expectations. Despite being a regular starter last season, he leaves with a sense of unfulfilled potential.
The Yaoundé-born midfielder had one of the highest salaries in the squad, and his departure gives Granada some much-needed financial breathing space.
Incoming transfers now possible
With Hongla’s wages off the books, Granada have increased their salary cap and gained room to manoeuvre in the transfer market. The club can now focus on strengthening the squad with potential arrivals, with defenders Lemos and Petit reportedly lined up as Pacheta’s first reinforcements.
For Granada, currently fighting in Spain’s Segunda División, this represents the first step in what locals are calling their “operación salida” (exit operation) - clearing the decks to build a squad capable of pushing for promotion in the second half of the season.