Chronicle Editor
Lisbon — Raul de Tomas is returning to Spain after just six months in Portugal in a €20 million move from Benfica to Espanyol, the two clubs announced yesterday.
Espanyol issued a statement saying the Spanish youth international had signed a contract until June 2026.
De Tomas becomes the most expensive signing in Espanyol Barcelona’s history, ahead of Argentina’s Matias Vargas who arrived in July for 10.5 million euros. Espanyol are last in La Liga.
The 25-year-old came through the youth system at Real Madrid, making one 14-minute appearance for the first team.
He had spells on loan at Cordoba, Valladolid and Rayo Vallecano, where he scored 38 goals over the last two seasons. Rayo were relegated last season and Real sold de Tomas to Benfica for a reported 20 million euros.
He only scored three goals, none in the league, in 17 matches in all competitions since his arrival in Lisbon.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich will not make a fresh bid for Manchester City and Germany winger Leroy Sane in the January transfer window, sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said yesterday.
Speaking to German media from Bayern’s winter training camp in Doha, Salihamidzic said that Sane was “not a topic in winter”.
Bayern came close to signing the 23-year-old last summer but the deal fell through after Sane tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Community Shield game against Liverpool.
The German star has been sidelined ever since, though City coach Pep Guardiola said this week that he was “close” to making a return. — AFP.
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