Manchester City have completed the signing of Argentinian defender Nicolas Otamendi from Valencia.
Our official site announced it on Thursday morning after a number of rumours were circulating about the defender’s destination. He initially looked set on a transfer to rivals Manchester United, but talks seemingly broke down and he is now heading to Manuel Pellegrini’s men.
Otamendi will wear the No 30 shirt for the Sky Blues and sign a 5-year contract. He links up with fellow Argentine’s Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis and becomes our third big signing of the summer after Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph.
The defender told the official website: “I am here to give my best, to fight game by game and push City to the
highest peaks for as long as possible, and I wish we will be able to win several cups and titles.”
“That’s the most important. To be here inside a club that looks so wonderful from the outside is a dream.”
Manager Manuel Pellegrini added: “Nicolas Otamendi was arguably the best defender in La Liga last season and so naturally I’m delighted to have added a player of his quality.”
“He is an established international for one of the best nations in world football and I have no doubt he has the
right mentality to fit into a squad where he will find many familiar faces, including Eliaquim and Fernando who he played alongside in Portugal.”
“As a footballer, Nicolas has all of the qualities to be a success in the Premier League- he’s strong, he’s excellent in the tackle and he’s very good technically.”
“I am sure he will become another Argentine player our fans will enjoy watching.”
It is shaping up to be a successful transfer window for City, and with the latest addition of Otamendi; our squad seems stronger and more in-depth than it was last term. We are still holding apparent interest in long-standing target Kevin de Bruyne for a fee believed to be in the region of £57 million, but only time will tell what results from that.
Let us know your thoughts on this signing and other potential new recruits that we have been linked with, by commenting, or sending us a tweet, @ReadManCity.
