Fernando Navarro has joined Mallorca on loan from Barcelona.
Fernando Navarro has joined Mallorca on loan for the 2005-06 campaign after failing to break into the Barcelona side during their championship-winning season.The young left back was upset after coach Frank Rijkaard assured him that he was part of his plans before Christmas, but then only played him five times last term.
Navarro joined Barca in 1993 and made his way through the youth ranks before being promoted to the first team squad under Carles Rexach in 2001.
He then played regularly in defence under Louis van Gaal in 2003, but a knee ligament injury curtailed his progress and he watched from the sidelines as the club brought in Gio van Bronckhorst and Silvinho to fill his position.
After he recovered, he was shipped out to Albacete for a six-month loan spell and returned to Barcelona hopeful of forcing his way back into the reckoning.
But with the team firing on all cylinders as they raced towards their first title in six years, Navarro played a bit-part role and stated that he was keen to leave in March.
Now he will spend a year on loan at Son Moix under the guidance of Hector Cuper in a move that could be made permanent next summer.
