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Mariano Andujar wasn't exactly a popular figure in the Napoli fanbase, but for this season at least, they won't have to worry about him. He's joined Argentina club Estudiantes de La Plata on loan for the season, returning to his native land once more and beginning what will actually be his third spell there during his career. Appropriate to his apparently low status to the club, the announcement was made with little fanfare:
La #SSCNapoli ufficializza la cessione in prestito di Mariano Gonzalo Andujar al Club Estudiantes De La Plata. @EdelpOficial #Andujar
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) September 8, 2015
Andujar made 15 Serie A starts for Napoli and eight more in the Europa League, giving up 30 goals across both competitions. He got the starting job after Rafael Cabral's form faltered, and was kept in goal even though his own form was never any better. With the departure of Rafa Benitez and the arrivals of Maurizio Sarri, Pepe Reina, and Gabriel, Andujar found himself fourth on Napoli's depth chart when he arrived at training in August, nursing a broken wrist picked up training with the Argentina national team.
This will be the third time Andujar has played with Estudiantes during his career. He first joined them in 2006, signing from fellow Argentine club Huracan after returning from a mildly successful loan spell with Palermo. There he helped Estudiantes win the 2006 Primera Division Apertura season, then in 2009 he kept eight clean sheets at home during Estudiantes' run to the Copa Libertadores championship. That was Andujar's last major victory with the club, signing with Catania shortly afterwards, though he did spend six mostly-uneventful months on loan back with Estudiantes in 2012.
Estudiantes currently sit a disappointing eighth in the Primera Division table, 12 points behind league-leading San Lorenzo. They finished sixth a year ago and haven't won a title since 2010. Andujar is able to join despite the Italian transfer window being closed because Argentina's window is still open until September 10th. He will be on loan for them through the remainder of this Primera Division season and into the next, slated to stay in Argentina for the whole Italian league season. What happens after that is up in the air, though Andujar does have one more year on his contract with Napoli.