Jean Ives Valou: Getafe sign Villarreal defender on season-long loan in La Liga move

Getafe have completed the signing of Villarreal defender Jean Ives Valou on a loan deal for the 2026-27 season, taking the 20-year-old centre-back from the Castellon club to the Coliseum on a temporary basis.

Valou, a left-footed central defender who stands at 1.88m, joins directly from Villarreals first team after being promoted from Villarreal B on 1 July 2026. The move to Getafe keeps him in La Liga, with both clubs competing in Spains top division.

Born in Abidjan on 22 December 2005 and holding nationality for both Cote dIvoire and Benin, Valou has developed in Villarreals system since arriving from Malian side Academie des Etoiles du Mande in December 2023. He progressed from Villarreals under-19s to Villarreal B in July 2024 before stepping up to the senior side this summer.

Valous market value has risen sharply over the past two seasons, climbing from 200,000 during his early Villarreal B spell to 600,000 by March 2026. That increase reflects his development within the Villarreal structure and frames the loan to Getafe as the next stage in his progression at top-flight level.

The loan agreement runs until 30 June 2027, at which point Valou is due to return to Villarreal.