Manchester City have signed Valencia centre-back Nicolas Otamendi for £31.7m on a five-year deal, the Premier League club has announced.
Otamendi, 27, has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer and had looked destined to join City’s neighbourhood rivals Manchester United earlier in the window before Louis van Gaal’s side stopped their interest.
The Argentina international completed his medical on Tuesday and has expressed his delight at joining the Premier League leaders.
City have spent the last few years looking for a top quality defender to partner captain Vincent Kompany in the middle of their defence and have now put their faith in Otamendi in the hope of forming a successful partnership.
"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," says Otamendi on City's official website.
"That's the most important. To be here inside a club that looks so wonderful from the outside is a dream."
Last season only Lionel Messi (25) and Cristiano Ronaldo (17) were named man of the match more times in La Liga than Otamendi (7), earning him a place in WhoScored's statistically calculated European top five leagues team of the season.
For more stats on Nicolas Otamendi, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
