Fran Villalba

Villalba's current-season form is level with last season (Season 29→29), while his Rating eased 37→28. His peak season for form remains 2021/22 (Season 38).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Santos Laguna · 17th	5	0	1	6.98	28	29
2025/26	Santos Laguna · 18th	32	3	2	6.79	37	29
2024/25	Santos Laguna · 18th	32	1	3	6.73	40	18
2023/24	Sporting Gijon · 5th	33	0	5	6.73	60	17
2022/23	MalagaLoan · 20th	34	1	2	6.96	59	28

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 5 earlier seasons and 5 youth-team spells in the full career.

Spain · international

Side	Apps	G
Spain U17	11	2

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Project playerCentral midfielder

Fran Villalba is a 28-year-old central midfielder at Santos Laguna, rated 37.4 overall by Field Insider's model. An experienced operator, he has been a regular starter this season (77.6% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 1.29 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Villalba.

On the season, Villalba graded 29 for current form (age-blind), on 3 goals, 2 assists and 1.289 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 29 → 29). Over the 7 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2021/22.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 37. At 28 Villalba is in his prime years, and a market index of 7.6 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2021/22 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2021/22Trending upBreakout: 2021/22Stepped up 2024/254 clubs

37.4

Ratingi

developing / rotation level

29.4

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

77.6%

Minutes

a regular starter

1.29

Def. actions / 90

light defensive volume

Output in context · Santos Laguna finished 18th of 18 · a relegation-threatened side

Apps

1.29

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

1.29 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — light defensive volume, with 5 clean sheets across 32 appearances. Doing that for a relegation-threatened side (18th of 18) is harder than the bare numbers suggest: a back line under more pressure has to defend more often and protects fewer leads, so the volume — and any clean sheets — carry real weight. Going forward he chipped in 3 goals and 2 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 77.6% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Attacking threat. Chips in from deep: 0.19 goal involvements per 90, useful for a central midfielder.

Watch points

Defensive numbers. Modest 1.29 defensive actions per 90 for the position.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

Rated 37.4 overall — developing / rotation level. Defensively he reads as light defensive volume (1.29 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.2× now → 0.9× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %77.6%

Available fixtures34 of 34

Goals / 900.114

Assists / 900.076

Goal contribution / 900.19

Defensive actions / 901.289

Player flow

Goal involvements5

Cards / 900.19

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~13), then tapers with age. At 28, Villalba sits on 7.6, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Villalba's projected Rating — 37.4 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among central midfielders in the Liga MX with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals3

Passing

Assists2

Defending

Tackles14

Interceptions17

Blocks3

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards5

Red cards0

Transfer history

€0.5M total transfer fees · 8 moves

Santos LagunaJul 2024 – now

Sporting Gijon(back from loan)Jul 2023 – Jul 2024

Malaga(on loan)Aug 2022 – Jul 2023

Sporting GijonJul 2022 – Aug 2022€ 500K

Sporting Gijon(on loan)Aug 2021 – Jul 2022

Birmingham(back from loan)Jul 2021 – Aug 2021

Almeria(on loan)Jan 2020 – Jul 2021

BirminghamAug 2019 – Jan 2020Free

Valenciauntil Aug 2019

About Fran Villalba

Francisco José Villalba Rodrigo is a 28-year-old central midfielder who plays for Santos Laguna, born on May 11, 1998 in Valencia, standing 171 cm tall. He is from Spain. Santos Laguna currently sit 17th of 18 in the Liga MX.

This season

In the current season, Fran Villalba has made 5 appearances with 0 goals and 1 assist across 399 minutes, averaging a 7 match rating over his last 4 rated games, with 1 yellow card.

Recent matches

August 17, 2026: 0-1 loss at home vs Guadalajara Chivas (90 minutes, 6.9 rating)
August 2, 2026: 0-3 loss away at Club America (90 minutes, 6.6 rating)
July 26, 2026: 0-1 loss at home vs Atlas (99 minutes, 7.6 rating)
July 19, 2026: 2-3 loss away at Monterrey (30 minutes, 6.9 rating)

Fran Villalba's next match is on August 30, 2026, when Santos Laguna face Tigres UANL at home in the Liga MX.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates Fran Villalba at 37.4 with a Season form score of 29.4. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Career

Across 13 recorded seasons, Fran Villalba has totalled 368 club appearances with 27 goals and 23 assists for 9 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2018/19, with 39 appearances for Numancia.

Fran Villalba's career has also included time at Sporting Gijon, Malaga, Birmingham, Almeria and Valencia.

On the international stage, Fran Villalba has represented Spain U17 — 11 caps and 2 goals in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.