Navas vows to repay City’s faith
It is understood the 27-year-old has signed a four-year contract after City agreed to pay the Spanish club an initial £14.9 million.
The deal had been expected since Sevilla announced they had sanctioned Navas’ sale to the Blues last week.
The transfer has now been completed after Navas successfully underwent a medical in New York, where he was on international duty with Spain in last night’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
“Manchester City is an exciting project and this is the right moment for me to take this step. I’m very happy with the opportunity,” Navas said.
“The Premier League is a competition where the football is very fast and will suit the way I play. I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m going to a great club in England and I want to continue developing my game there. The club has put a lot of faith in me and I want to repay them out on the pitch.”
Navas’ arrival takes City’s summer signing to close to £45m following the capture of Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk last week.
News of his signing is likely to be followed by confirmation that Manuel Pellegrini is to take over as manager.
The 59-year-old Chilean’s appointment has been expected since he left Malaga last week and, despite the delay, is still thought to be a formality.
Navas did have problems with homesickness in his younger days, and his international career was affected because of it, but those issues are now firmly in the past.
When asked how he would adapt to life in Manchester, he said: “I think I will be fine.
“I love what I do, which is to play football. For me the most important thing is to be able to enjoy it as much as possible because we have a great squad.”
City appear to be embarking on a summer of restructure after regressing since winning the Premier League in 2012.
Navas believes there are exciting times ahead. Asked about the reasons for his move, he said: “I won some important titles with Sevilla but the Champions League is something you always have in mind, also to enjoy the Premier League and to have a really strong year.
“Truth is this is a dream for me and a challenge to play for a club like Manchester City and fight for titles and everything that comes with that.”
Meanwhile, Malaga playmaker Isco has vented his anger and frustration after the Court of Arbitration for Sport yesterday dismissed the Andalusian club’s appeal against a ban preventing them from playing in European competition next season.
Malaga, whose sixth-placed finish in La Liga would have earned them a Europa League qualifying berth, were handed a one-season European ban by Uefa in December due to outstanding debts.
They were also threatened with a further year’s suspension unless they proved they had no debts to other clubs, players or the tax authorities by March 31.
Uefa last month revoked that provisional sanction, but Malaga were still waiting to hear if their appeal to CAS to overturn the remainder of the ruling had been successful.
However CAS has ruled in favour of Uefa, leaving Malaga out of Europe for next season.
Spain international Isco said: “Shameful, lamentable, unfair that we’re looked at in a completely different way to other teams with much more irregularities and debt. Once again they take away what we’ve earned on the pitch! Neither the players or fans deserve this. I have nothing more to say.”
Isco has been linked with a move to Manchester City and Arsenal, with Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis believing it will be a “big summer” for the club in the transfer market.
“We have been working very, very hard to gain the kind of financial capability we need as a football club to be at the very top end of the game,” he said. “It is all about giving us the capability to go to Arsene Wenger and to say, ‘Here is the money for you to compete’. That is what we want to do.”
Meanwhile Manchester United have completed the signing of Uruguayan right-back Guillermo Varela on a five-year contract. The 20-year-old has sealed his move from Penarol after a deal was agreed last week.
The agent of Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez has denied suggestions his client is heading to Fiorentina, although the chances of him leaving the European champions remain high.
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