Villarreal defender Ivan Marcano is on the brink of a €6 million move to Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan, Spain's AS sports daily reported Thursday.
Marcano has not played for the La Liga side since 2009, when he was loaned out to Getafe and then Greek side Olympiacos, where he scored five goals in 41 games this past season.
The offer may be too good to refuse by Villarreal, who finished 18th and were relegated to the second division this season after defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Rubin, on the other hand, finished sixth in the Russian Premier League and qualified for the Europa League group stage after winning the Russian Cup with a 1-0 victory over Dynamo Moscow last month.
Marcano, 24, is to turn down an offer from Spartak Moscow, where former Valencia coach Unai Emery is taking over next season, due to improved incentives from Rubin, the report said.
Rubin officials are revamping the club to get closer to the top of the table next season. Expectations of success are high in Kazan, where Rubin won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, coming third in 2010.
Rubin president Dmitry Samarenkin stepped down from the post Tuesday, to be replaced by the general director of the Kazan government-controlled firm Svyazinvestneftkhim, Valery Sorokin.
Marcano, who plays as a centerback or left back, has one cap for Spain's under-21 side.
