Re: La Liga

Goalkeeper Jonathan ‘Jona’ López Pérez was presented as a new Getafe player today, and in the press conference, the 33-year-old was excited about the prospect of finally getting to make his La Liga debut.

“I’m very excited, because for me it’s a great opportunity and I hope not to disappoint. I come with eagerness to work, and to please”, the player stated.

“What I’ve fought for in my career has been to get a chance. Now it comes for me at 33 years of age. It’s not a bad age, but it’s been a pleasant surprise. I joined Getafe to realise my dream of debuting in La Liga.”

López originally began his career with Valencia, but never made an appearance in the first team, and was later loaned out to Numancia, Oviedo and Córdoba. Despite never getting a chance at Valencia, López is sure that the experience served to help him to where he is now.

“That’s the past. What I come to do now is to meet the objectives, play as much as possible and help the team. The only positive thing from those years is that they have helped me be where I am now.”

López joins from the Greek club Veria, and when asked what made him choose Getafe, the player confessed that the possibility of returning to Spain was an important factor.

“The first thing [that attracted me] was the opportunity to be in Spain, and the magnitude of the club. I come from Veria, and this is an important step in my career.”

Re: La Liga

Enrique González Casín, known as “Quique”, was officially presented as a new Almería player on Wednesday, and in his first press conference, the 24-year-old attacker stressed that he’s keen to return the faith that the club has placed in him.

Quique, who started his career in Valladolid, spent last season in Guadalajara in the Segunda B, where he scored 24 goals. Quique defined himself as a striker, but stated that he could also “play on the wings or as an attacking midfielder, and adapt to the needs of the coach”.

Quique was full of gratitude to Almería, and was keen to reply to the faith that the club has placed in him by signing him.

“I want to reply with work, professionalism and humility. I want to contribute my bit in order to achieve the goal of staying in the first division.

“Last season with Guadalajara I came to play against Almeria B. Now, some months later, I’m coming to the first team. It’s something I couldn’t imagine then.”

Almería’s performances from last season had also caught Quique’s eye, and he was keen to help the club remain on the same path.

“What Almería did last season was very commendable and showed that with faith, work and unity you can achieve great things. That’s what my new club gives me. They also make an important commitment to youth, which is to be valued.”

Re: La Liga

Barcelona have announced the sale of Mexican midfielder, Jonathan dos Santos to Villarreal for a fee of €2 million (in variables), where he will sign on for the next five years.

After weeks of reports that a deal was in the works, Barcelona made the offical annoucement on Wednesday evening, marking an end to the player’s 12 year relationship with the club.

FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF have agreed to terms for the player Jonathan dos Santos. The transfer fee, which is a combination of a fixed sum and variables, could reach 2 million euros, and FC Barcelona reserve the right to be involved in the possible future sale of the player.

The Mexican player arrived at FC Barcelona in June of 2002 along with his brother Giovani. He played for the Club’s Infantil A team, the Cadete B and A teams and the Juvenil B and A teams.

In the summer of 2008 Dos Santos was promoted to Barça Atlètic by Luis Enrique. After three seasons in the reserve side – during this time he also featured for Pep Guardiola’s senior team – the Mexican player was promoted to the first team in the summer of 2012.

He featured in nine matches for FC Barcelona during his two seasons in the first team. His participation was severely curtailed due to a serious injury sustained on October 23 of 2013.

In total, Jonathan dos Santos has been at the Club for 12 years and has featured for FC Barcelona on 28 occasions.

Jonathan turned down offers from both Porto and Real Sociedad in order to join his brother, Gio at Villarreal.

Dos Santos will be presented by Villarreal on Thursday at 20:15 at El Madrigal, just after signing his new five-year contract.

Re: La Liga

Eibar completed a flurry of transfer activity, adding further strength to their squad for life in the Primera, having signed goalkeeper Jaime Jímenez from Real Valladolid, plus forward Ángel Luis from Levante.

Gaizka Garitano more than hinted that there would be additions to his squad, during a presentation press conference with his coaching team on Tuesday. Less than twenty-four hours later, his words rang true as Eibar made two more signings and both are players with Primera experience.

First announced on Wednesday, was the capture of striker Ángel Luis from Levante, who has signed an initial one-year deal with Eibar, with an option to extend that by a further year, based on meeting various objectives. Last season at Levante, the 27-year-old scored 2 goals in 10 Primera appearances, whilst also getting 5 games in the Copa del Rey.

The second announcement by the newly promoted Basque club, was that of experienced goalkeeper Jaime Jiménez from Real Valladolid, having made 24 appearances in the Primera over the last two seasons, plus 3 in the Copa del Rey. In the case of the 33-year-old, he joins for one season and has the option of extending his stay, should Eibar remain in the Spanish top-flight.

Re: La Liga

Málaga are close to reaching a final agreement with Vitória Setúbal for winger Ricardo Horta, with the 19-year-old regarded as one of the most promising talents in Portugal.

Ricardo Horta burst onto the scene with Vitória Setúbal, with 6 appearances during the 2012-2013 season. Unable to hold him back any longer, the 19-year-old winger was one of the Primera Liga revelation players during the last campaign, making 28 appearances and scoring 7 goals.

Now however, he’s close to completing an estimated €800,000 move to Málaga and La Liga, according to El Desmarque, who say that Horta has agreed terms with the Costa del Sol club, whilst they make their final arrangements to conclude business with Vitória Setúbal.

Málaga and sporting director Mario Husillos have been following the progress of Horta for some time, having observed him in action on numerous occasions at first-hand. His signing is seen as one of a player who can keep progressing at an exciting rate, offering quality to the side and also, a sound investment for such a relatively small price.

Re: La Liga

Fidel Chaves will spend this season on loan from Elche to Córdoba, the newly promoted Andaluz club has announced on Wednesday.

Córdoba continue to build for their first top-flight season in forty-two years and with another incorporation to their squad. Via their official website, the club announced that they have reached an agreement to loan Fidel Chaves from Elche, during the 2014-2015 campaign.

Suggestions earlier in the day were that the 24-year-old had rescinded his contract with Elche, although that clearly isn’t the case, given the loan deal that has eventually been agreed with Córdoba.

Fidel has been an important part of the Elche squad for the last two seasons, helping them to promotion from the Segunda in the 2012-2013 campaign. Last season the winger made 35 appearances in the Primera and scored 2 goals, whilst also making 1 appearance in the Copa del Rey.

Re: La Liga

Thai footballer Teerasil Dangda was given a rousing welcome to Almería, as hundreds of cheering fans greeted him at the airport.

Having been given a great send-off at his former club, Muangthong United, there was a surprise in store for Thailand international, Teerasil Dangda, upon his arrival at Almería airport on Wednesday.

After disembarking his connecting flight from Madrid, Dangda was met by hundreds of Almería fans, all keen to get a first glimpse of their new star, who has attracted the most media attention in the history of their club.

“I’m studying, I only speak a little.” Said the player in Spanish, as he was given the warmest of welcomes by the fans of his new club, add in English that he was “very happy” to have arrived in what will be his new home.

Pleased, but clearly taken aback by his greeting from the local fans, Dangda will join the rest of the Almería squad in training on Thursday, where he will spend at least one season, hoping that he can forge a strong reputation for himself in La Liga.

Re: La Liga

Barcelona have reportedly rescinded the contract of Catalan winger, Isaac Cuenca as the player will now join Deportivo La Coruna on a free transfer.

According to Catalan sports daily, Mundo Deportivo, Cuenca was informed by Luis Enrique that he did not feature in the club’s plans and after several weeks of unconfirmed reports and suggestions from both Barcelona and Depor, it appears that Cuenca has been given a free pass to sign for Depor.

Over the past several days, news leaked that Cuenca had agreed to personal terms with Depor, where they then began negotiating with Barcelona over the transfer of the player.

However, with just one year remaining on Cuenca’s current deal and no interest in renewing, Barcelona made a gesture of good faith and freed the player from his committments to the club and allowed him to pursue his career with Deportivo.

Cuenca is expected to be presented with Lucas Perez on Thursday, baring a successful medical.

Re: La Liga

Javier Espinosa has moved to El Madrigal on a free transfer, Villarreal have announced on Friday, having secured his services for the next three seasons.

Amidst a wealth of options available to the talented young midfielder this summer, Javier Espinosa has opted for a move to Villarreal, who have been tracking him for some time, having spent the entirety of his fledgeling career to date with Barcelona.

The capture of the 21-year-old player was officially announced by Villarreal on Friday, where he has signed a contract until June 2017. The club are pleased to have secured the signing of a very promising player, who can offer them a variety of options in midfield, including more attacking roles.

Having spent the last three campaigns with Barca B and as one of their key players, the 2013-2014 season was one of his best, scoring 7 goals in 37 appearances.

Re: La Liga

New Barcelona striker, Luis Suarez posted an open letter to all Liverpool players, staff and fans as he makes a 81 million euro move to the Camp Nou.

Hello everyone,

It is over three and half years since I arrived at Liverpool, a club that I always admired. From the moment I signed, my aim and my desire, my constant goal, was to help Liverpool to grow and to be even greater than it already is.

Over the last few years I have experienced lots of good moments and other, more difficult ones. Both in good times and bad I always felt supported by wonderful fans at a wonderful club. We will always feel close to the city; we feel proud of the fact that our daughter, which almost four years old now, was raised in Liverpool and that our son was born there.

My family and I were always made to feel at home and we will never forget that. At difficult times, I had your backing and that is something that I will always carry in my heart. To have had the opportunity to play, enjoy, smile and score goals at a stadium as unique and special as Anfield, with all of you incredible fans supporting us, is an honour.

I would also like to express my gratitude to all my team-mates, the staff at Melwood and the two managers who showed such faith in me at all times.

Today a stage of our lives comes to an end that we will never forget. Our affection towards Liverpool will be for ever. We leave behind lots of friends and speical people who will always be in our hearts. THANK YOU. We depart as Liverpool fans. You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Re: La Liga

Granada have moved swiftly to strengthen their goalkeeping options, moving to sign Barcelona keeper Oier Olazábal on a four-year contract.

Following earlier reports that Granada had lost patience in their pursuit of Real Madrid keeper, Jesús Fernández, they haven’t wasted any time moving for an alternative option.

Early on Friday evening, Granada officially announced that they had signed Oier Olazábal on a free transfer from Barcelona, although the Catalan club retain a clause which will see them receive a percentage of any future sale.

The 24-year-old quickly agreed terms to the move and will compete with established goalkeeper Roberto Fernández, plus promising Macedonian Under-21 international, Stole Dimitrievski.

Oier will get to work with his new team-mates on Saturday, at the orders of manager, Joaquín Caparrós.

Re: La Liga

Elche manager Fran Escribá spoke about his contract renewal at a press conference on Friday, pleased with the growth and potential at the club, whilst also happy with the summer transfer moves.

Having already announced the contract renewal for Fran Escribá and his coaching team, the Elche manager held a press conference alongside club president José Sepulcre on Friday. First, he explained his satisfaction at having secured his future with the club.

“I’m appreciative of the confidence the president has shown in me, of the board and the sporting directive for trusting us. This display of confidence for me is a huge joy, renewing the commitment we’ve made to this club. Before last season finished, I was told we would sit down and talk. With the arrival of Orte, that remained the same.”

Escribá remains fully confident in the project at Elche, both short and long-term, but believes that his focus should always remain on what lays directly before him.

“This is a project in which I have blind faith and it’s one that binds us all. It’s not just about the president or the sporting directive, it encompasses the whole city and many people. If I look to the future, we can accomplish something I never thought possible: being at one club for five years. That’s rare these days, for a manager to be at one club for five years and even more so in Spanish football.”

“Short-term, all we’re thinking about is this season, achieving permanence and if we think longer-term, which we want to do, it’s just to take things one step at a time. A manager should remain focused on the short-term.”

With reports circulating that there are release clauses in his contract, should a big club come calling for his services, Escribá didn’t wish to discuss whether that was the case or not, but insisted that he’s committed to Elche and wouldn’t have signed a two-year deal, were that not the case.

“I’d prefer not to go into details about contract clauses. I’m not planning on leaving if a big club comes in, I won’t do that. When things are going well, be aware that there are always teams getting in contact with you or your representatives, but right now, we’re not thinking beyond anything other than having a good season. The best for everyone, is that I fulfil my contract. I’ve signed a contract until 2017, because I see myself here as manager until then, although in football you never know what may happen.”

The summer transfer window is in full swing and having already made four signings, Escribá indicated he’s pleased with the moves made so far, along with those in the pipeline for Elche.

“I really like the project the club is putting together, which implies that we’ll keep growing and with those who have helped us. The pace of signings and the players who have arrived, will be well liked. Looking ahead, at what we have and those to come, I’m very happy.”

“We’ve spoken of around ten or eleven signings, so with the arrival of four so far, there’s five or six to come. In the end we’ll complete a squad that right in terms of numbers, whilst we’ll also have players from the B team, who are getting stronger all the time.”

“I spoke with the four players who have already arrived. That’s what we look for, people who are very happy and happy to be here. Fajr isn’t so well known, but I think he’s a player everyone will like and all the moves the sporting directive are making, are all good and can offer us a great deal. Adrián will offer us a lot going forward and Tyton is an international keeper, with experience in various leagues.”

Escribá also explained that though some of the players the club loaned last season, wanted to return on a similar basis, Elche are trying to sign more players permanently, rather than rely too much on loans.

“Those who were loaned last season have returned to their clubs and are free to decide their futures. We’ve spoken about the possibility of some returning, but that’s now not the case. If we want top quality players, then it’s only natural that some would come on loan from big clubs, but the aim is more so to sign players permanently. Last season the players we have on loan were very committed, very involved and I think all of them would like to have stayed.”

Finally, Escribá underlined the importance of the fans, for the club, himself and the coaching team, especially when deciding to commit his future.

“I’ve always said we have fans we need ask little from. Our season ticket campaign is going very well. Hopefully we’ll reach the 25,000 target and surpass it. This is a project that is growing every day, so all we ask is that they keep supporting us as they have. Their affection has helped with my contract renewal, because myself and the coaching team feel very much loved by them. We have very good foundations on which to dream and grow.”

Re: La Liga

Both FC Barcelona and Liverpool have officially announced today that the Uruguayan striker will move to the Camp Nou on a five-year deal, and the player is set to be presented at Barcelona next week.

The transfer rumors have persisted throughout the summer and after the sale of Alexis Sanchez was confirmed yesterday, Barcelona announced the transfer of Luis Suárez, who is believed to be taking Alexis’ number 9 jersey at the club.

The Uruguay international will sign until 2019 after completing his medical next week. According to the Catalan Mundo Deportivo, the transfer fee is €81 million.

Barcelona’s official website welcomed the now former Liverpool striker, describing him as “one of the most productive strikers in European football”, who is not “just a prolific scorer”, but “also has a strong competitive spirit and a powerful figure”.

Liverpool also officially confirmed the transfer on their website, wishing Suárez and his family well for the future, whilst also thanking him for his services.

Suárez joins Barcelona after a successful season with Liverpool, in which he scored 31 Premier League goals, and becomes the fifth player to have arrived at the Camp Nou with a European Golden Boot among his honors.

Re: La Liga

Colombian international attacking midfielder, James Rodríguez recently admitted that he prefers Real Madrid and would love to play in Spain one day, but in a recent interview, the 22-year-old took things a step further stating that he’d join the reigning Champions League winners “with his eyes closed.”

In an exclusive interview with Marca via Bernabeu Digital, Rodriguez set the transfer rumour mill on fire as he issued a “come and get me plea” to Real Madrid.

“I’d go to Real Madrid with my eyes closed. I don’t care what I said about Real Madrid because it’s something I feel in my heart. I have a lot of respect for other teams, but Madrid is Madrid.

“Playing with Cristiano, Benzema and Bale would be a dream. If it happens, I just want to enjoy it.

“I’ve liked Real Madrid since the days of Zidane, Ronaldo and ‘The Galácticos.

“I dream of playing for Real Madrid, but will respect Monaco’s decision. I think it’s everyone’s dream, of course, mine has always been to play for Madrid. It’s great to know that a club with such magnitude, like Real Madrid, are interested in me. It would be a dream signing for the team of my dreams.”

James went on to add that he is confident in his skills and feels he would be able to handle the pressures of playing for a club like Real Madrid.

“I don’t feel any pressure because of my youth, I’m confident in my skills.

“I want to improve every day and work hard for it. I’m very ambitious.

James then spoke about the possibilities of a transfer happening this summer and what he feels about potentially playing in the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I’ve visited Madrid several times, it’s a very nice city. I was once at the Bernabeu and I found it to be an incredible stadium. When I got in. the first thing I thought was, “I want to play here one day.

“I’m a very relaxed person, I try to remain calm at all times. But really, joining Real Madrid is a special case. My future is in the hands of Florentino Perez.”

Re: La Liga

Barcelona forward, Bojan Krkic will undoubtedly leave the club this summer and while he looked to be set for a move to join former teammate Marc Muniesa at English Premier League side, Stoke City, reports have come out that the 23-year-old will join another former teammate, Isaac Cuenca at Deportivo La Coruna.

According to Alberto Gómez Barros from Onda Deportiva Coruña radio, Deportivo and Barcelona are in the final stages of negotiations with Bojan set to join the recently promoted Galician side.

Bojan has failed to recover the promising form he showed under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, going out on unsuccessful loan spells to Roma, AC Milan and Ajax.

However, the interest remains high in the player with Malaga rumoured to be interest but former Barcelona player, Mark Hughes wants him at Stoke City, with the club’s president confirming that a deal is close.

“Bojan rumours? Mark (Hughes) has met him and we’re quietly confident of getting it all completed soon.”

Yet, despite reports on Friday morning claiming that Bojan was on his way to England, he has reportedly changed his mind and is rumoured to even be willing to lower his wages and join Deportivo.

None of the involved parties have spoke since Friday morning, when Hughes admitted that they were close to the player, but it will soon be known as the player has likely already made his decision.