Manuel Pellegrini has bolstered Manchester City’s defensive options with just hours to go in the summer transfer window by signing Argentine defender Martin Demichelis from Atletico Madrid.
The 32-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Etihad Stadium for a rumoured fee of around £4million.
And the veteran defender – who won four Bundesliga titles in a seven-year spell at Bayern Munich – is eager to get his first taste of the Premier League.
“I am delighted to have joined City because I am still hungry for success and want to improve,” he told City’s official website.
“I have been in Europe for 11 years now and this was a great chance for me to play in the Premier League with such a big club.”
His acquisition comes at a key time for the Citizens, who have lost their influential captain Vincent Kompany for around a month to a groin injury.
Having spent more than a decade in Europe plying his trade, Argentine international Demichelis is confident he can hit the ground running at City and make an instant impact.
“When there is a change, there is always a process,” he explained.
“There’s always a period of adjustment you have to go through. Moving from South America to Europe is a big change and you need some time to settle in because everything is new.
“But in my case, I have lived in Europe for many years and I don’t think there’ll be any problems in adjusting to life here.
“Now I want to repay the manager’s faith in me out on the pitch. I can’t wait to get started.”
It will be the third time Demichelis has worked with Pellegrini, having played under the Chilean at both River Plate and Malaga.
The Argentine becomes City’s fifth major summer signing and joins Alvaro Negredo, Fernandinho, Jesus Navas and Stevan Jovetic in England, pushing their spending well over £100million.
Image courtesy of FIFATV, via Youtube, with thanks.
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