Zaragoza bring back El Yamiq as fifth January signing in relegation scrap

Real Zaragoza have pulled another rabbit out of the hat in their fight against the drop, bringing back Moroccan defender Jawad El Yamiq for a second spell at La Romareda.

Fifth winter reinforcement

The 33-year-old centre-back becomes Zaragoza’s fifth January acquisition as the club desperately tries to strengthen their squad to avoid what would be a catastrophic relegation to Spain’s third tier. El Yamiq joins an impressive haul of winter signings alongside Rober González, Willy Agada, Nikola Cumic and Juan Larios.

This ain’t El Yamiq’s first rodeo with Los Maños. The defender previously spent half a season on loan at Zaragoza back in 2020, where he made quite the impression during his 14 appearances. His solid performances during that stint earned him a move to Real Valladolid afterward.

From Saudi to salvation mission

Since his time at Valladolid, El Yamiq has been plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, turning out for Al-Wehda and more recently Al-Najma. The experienced defender also represented Morocco at the recent Africa Cup of Nations, where the Atlas Lions reached the final before losing to Senegal.

There’s a bit of poetic contrast in El Yamiq’s Zaragoza chapters. When he first arrived in 2020, the club had their mince pies on promotion. Now he returns with the team in a proper dog’s dinner, fighting tooth and nail to avoid relegation.

More movement expected

While bringing back El Yamiq addresses a critical need at centre-back, Zaragoza aren’t done yet. With the transfer deadline looming, the club is expected to remain active with both incomings and outgoings in these final hours of the winter window.

The veteran defender will be hoping to make an immediate impact as Zaragoza look to climb away from danger in the Segunda División.