admin“Jesus Navas will leave Sevilla to go to Manchester City,” said a statement on the club’s website.
“On Monday, Sevilla accepted the offer of the English club, bearing in mind the wishes of the player who will have to pass a medical.”
“Navas, after 10 seasons in the first team and a performance level that places him as the best winger in Nervion’s history, wants to continue his successful sporting career in English football, more specifically at a club where he can continue growing as a player, as he has publicly declared on various occasions in recent months.”
Navas has said he never had any doubts about moving to Manchester City after Sevilla confirmed they had accepted a bid for the Spanish international on Monday night.
Navas has spent 10 years at Sevilla and won six trophies during his time at the club, but he insisted that the time had come to move onto a fresh challenge.
“It was my choice,” he told Sevilla’s website yesterday.
“I want to continue growing there and they have invested a lot in me so I want to continue succeeding there.
“It was a decision that I had taken and something that I wanted to face up to. It is difficult because I have had many years enjoying the support of the fans, but I had decided and I was desperate to go there. It is a very good step for me and I never had any doubts.”
Navas will still have to pass a medical with the 2011-12 English champions, but that may not be able to take place for some time as he is currently on international duty with Spain.
Although Sevilla haven’t confirmed the exact amount they will receive, reports in Spain on Monday estimated the 27-year-old will cost an initial US$26m, which could rise to US$25m should he achieve certain objectives.
Navas has made 23 appearances for his country and was part of the Spanish sides that won the World Cup in 2010 and retained the European Championships last year.
And his arrival in Manchester is a further indication that City will appoint current Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini as their next manager.
Pellegrini has already declared that he is to leave Malaga come the end of the season and admitted last week to having a verbal agreement in place with City.
The 27-year-old Nava, who has represented his country on 23 occasions, made 393 appearances in his 10 years with Los Nervioneses.
Navas enjoyed great success early in his career with Sevilla as part of the side that won back-to-back Uefa Cups in 2006 and 2007, as well as the Copa del Rey in 2007 and 2010.
However, the opportunity to move on from the Spanish side earlier in his career was impeded by severe homesickness and anxiety whenever he was away from his home province for extended periods.
That anxiety also delayed his international career until he accepted a call-up from Spain boss Vicente del Bosque in November 2009
Such was his impact on the international side that Del Bosque took him to South Africa for the World Cup in 2010. — AFP.
Online Reporter