Tomas Mejias, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, has landed a return to Spain after securing a loan deal with Rayo Vallecano.
The 27-year-old is set to finalise the move to the Spanish second-tier side until the end of the season after training with their first team on Tuesday morning.
His departure will come after Aitor Karanka suggested he intended to end the January transfer window with only three goalkeepers on his books.
Mejias arrived on an initial two-year contract and signed an extension in February last year to keep him on the books until the summer of 2018.
Victor Valdes has claimed Karanka's No 1 spot since his arrival from Manchester United, with summer signing Brad Guzan and Dimi Konstantopoulos waiting in the wings.
Former Real Madrid B team shot stopper Mejias has fallen down the pecking order at the club and has not made an appearance in a Boro shirt since January 2016.
Mejias, who has been feeling frustrated at the lack of first time action on Teesside, came close to leaving Karanka's side in the summer but the move fell through shortly before the window slammed shut.
Vallecano shared a photo of the player in action at their Madrid-based training ground across their social media accounts on Tuesday.