1. FSV Mainz 05 midfielder José Rodriguez has joined 21-time Israeli Premier League champions Maccabi Tel Aviv on a season-long loan with an option to buy.
The 22-year-old has seen first-team opportunities limited while in Germany, playing just five games for Die Nullfünfner since his move from Galatasaray in July 2016.
Rodriguez departs in search of first-team football
Mainz's sporting director Rouven Schröder told mainz05.de that although Rodriguez "presented himself faultlessly in training and demonstrated his skills" it remained unlikely for the Spaniard"to get into our team because of the competition within our squad."
Schröder added that the move "makes sense for both the player and Mainz 05" and said that all involved at Mainz "wish José all the best on his way to Tel Aviv."
Maccabi boss Jordi Cruyff told maccabi-tlv.co.il that "Rodriguez is a player who despite his young age has been through a lot of things", adding that "to be at the clubs and leagues he has been shows that he has many abilities and a lot of qualities."
Cruyff went on to say that the midfielder needs to play "at a place which plays the kind of football which suits him" and hopes that "Maccabi could give him that stage so that he can show his true value".
Rodriguez revealed that he "had other offers to go on loan from Mainz" but added that it was "after speaking with Jordi I chose to join Maccabi Tel Aviv."
Former Real Madrid youth man has spent much of his career in Spain
The Spanish midfielder spent much of his youth career playing for Real Madrid's youth sides, turning out for the La Liga giants' under-19 side before graduating to Real Madrid Castilla in 2012.
He made 61 appearances for Castilla across two seasons in La Liga 1|2|3 before spending a season on loan with Deportivo de La Coruña in 2014/15.
Rodriguez played 25 times in La Liga for Deportivo before moving to Turkish Süper Lig side Galatasaray on a free transfer the following season, making 23 appearances for Cimbom before joining Mainz in a deal worth around two million pounds in July 2016.
He failed to break through to Mainz's first-team during his time in the Bundesliga however and spent the second-half of last season on loan with Málaga CF, where he made six appearances in La Liga before returning to Die Nullfünfer at the end of the season.