Hartbreak as Bravo joins City
MANCHESTER City has completed its swoop for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, the Premier League club confirmed yesterday.
City manager Pep Guardiola’s move for Bravo is likely to push England goalkeeper Joe Hart closer to an exit from Eastlands after he lost his place to back-up Willy Caballero at the start of the season.
Guardiola, who arrived from Bayern Munich in the close season, wanted to sign Bravo because he felt Hart’s passing wasn’t good enough to fulfil his desire for a ‘sweeper-keeper’ who can effectively retain possession.
Bravo has signed a four-year contract and is reported to have cost City around 17 million pounds (US$22 million).
“City are delighted to announce the signing of Claudio Bravo,” a statement on the club’s website read. “The Chilean goalkeeper joins the Blues from Barcelona after signing a four-year deal.”
The 33-year-old moved to Barcelona from Real Sociedad in 2014 and enjoyed great success, winning the Spanish title in 2015 and 2016 and the UEFA Champions League in 2015.
“It is not easy to leave a club like Barcelona where I had two fantastic years, but the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola was too good to refuse,” Bravo told City’s website.
Bravo, who has 106 caps for Chile, could make his City debut at home against West Ham United on Sunday.
Earlier, Barcelona completed the signing of Dutch international goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Ajax Amsterdam.
In a statement on their website the Catalans confirmed they had signed the 27-year-old on a five-year contract for a fee of 13 million euros (US$14.7 million).
Barcelona said Cillessen flew to Spain yesterday morning to undergo a medical and would be officially unveiled today.
Cillessen made a farewell appearance for Ajax on Wednesday in its 1-4 Champions League playoff defeat to Rostov in Russia.
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