Negredo back to Spain as Man City send striker to Valencia

Manchester City loaned Alvaro Negredo - with a compulsory option to purchase - to Valencia on Monday's transfer deadline day after he had gradually lost his place in the squad following a promising start in 2013/14.

Manchester City originally bought Alvaro Negredo from Sevilla in La Liga. Cal Sport Media / AP Images

Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo has completed an initial loan move to Valencia.

The deal with Valencia includes an obligation for the club to buy the player, who is currently out with a broken foot, at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old impressed in what proved to be his only season in Manchester, but was reportedly keen to return to his homeland, leaving City manager Manuel Pellegrini with Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic as his options in attack.

City paid £20 million (Dh121.8m) to bring the forward from Sevilla last summer after his previous spells with Real Madrid’s ‘B’ team and Almeria.

The La Liga club issued a statement that read: “Valencia Football Club has reached an agreement with Manchester City Football Club for the loan, with an option to compulsory purchase, the Spanish international striker Alvaro Negredo, considered one of the best attackers of the national and European football.

“The footballer with Valencian family, will be presented tomorrow at the Mestalla. The club invites all Valencianistas to attend the presentation.”

Negredo scored 23 goals in his first season with City, including hat-tricks against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League and West Ham in the League Cup.

Nicknamed ‘the Beast’, he formed a formidable partnership with Aguero in the early part of the 2013/14 campaign, but his importance to the side waned after suffering a shoulder injury.

Indeed, his last City goal came in January and he went 16 matches without finding the net at the end of the title-winning season.

City, confirming the move, wrote on their website: “Alvaro Negredo has joined Valencia on a season-long deal.

“In total, Negredo played on 49 occasions for City, scoring 23 goals, two of which were hat-tricks.

“La Liga side Valencia have an obligation to purchase the Spain international at the end of the loan period and everybody at Manchester City wishes Alavaro every success in the future.”

Negredo hasn’t yet featured this season after breaking a bone in his foot during a pre-season friendly in July and is expected to return to action in October.

The deal seals a busy final day of the transfer window for Valencia as they also signed Brazilian midfielder Filipe Augusto on loan from Rio Ave.

Veteran Portuguese international Helder Postiga meanwhile had his contract with the club rescinded to sign a one-year deal with Deportivo la Coruna and Jonathan Viera has joined Standard Liege.

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