I’m looking forward to finding Jesus - £16m Negredo can answer City's paryers - 7M sport

I’m looking forward to finding Jesus - £16m Negredo can answer City's paryers



Posted Saturday, July 20, 2013 by The Sun

I’m looking forward to finding Jesus - £16m Negredo can answer City's paryers
THRILLER IN SEVILLA ... Negredo and Navas celebrate

ALVARO NEGREDO is looking forward to finding Jesus again at Manchester City.

Etihad chiefs have confirmed a deal which is worth an initial £16.4million to buy the 27-year-old Spanish striker.

He will be quickly reunited with his Seville amigo Jesus Navas, the jet-heeled winger who made the same move for £15m last month.

And City fans will be praying the pair can forge the same formidable understanding they had in Spain.

Negredo revealed: “I phoned Jesus and Javi Garcia on Thursday morning before the official confirmation of my transfer. They were very happy — and I am too.

“To be team-mates again is great. Jesus is a great guy. He’s a spectacular player and I hope I can keep scoring with his assists here.”

Negredo — who has won 14 caps for Spain and has signed a four-year deal — is nicknamed the ‘Beast of the Vallecas’ back home.

And he believes his style is a perfect fit for the English game, despite playing the whole of his career so far in the Spanish league.

He said: “I always thought this league could be good for my style.

“It’s a very important moment in my career because I am signing for a great club like Manchester City. It’s a dream to be here.

“I am a strong player. Good at headers. I have a powerful shot with my left foot. And I always try to be at the right place.

“I have chosen No 9, it is my favourite number since I was a kid. I have it tattooed. I love it.

“I don’t like to set targets about the number of goals I want to score in a season. I just want to improve. It’ll be great if I improve my numbers from previous seasons.

“I am here to work hard, help my team-mates so that we can become the best we can together. I want to try to lift some trophies here.”

Etihad boss Manuel Pellegrini knows all about Negredo from his nine years managing in Spain and the City new-boy admits he did not need much persuading to sign.

He said: “Pellegrini’s football is very attacking, attractive. He loves to have ball possession, play a passing game. He accomplished great things in Spain so it will be a pleasure to work with him.

“He phoned me and explained to me how he envisioned this project. I really didn’t need much persuading but yes, he was convincing.”

Negredo will compete for a starting spot with Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and another new signing Stevan Jovetic — who also sealed a move to the Etihad on a busy day yesterday.

Negredo added: “Of course, I know the Spanish players but besides those the ones I know best, are Kun Aguero and Edin Dzeko. They are both great players.

“I have played in many systems — with two strikers, sometimes one striker and one attacking midfielder, I have also played as a sole striker and three midfielders behind.”

City’s summer spending spree has soared to around £85m as they added Montenegro international Jovetic, 23, to earlier deals for Navas and £30m Brazilian Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fiorentina will get an initial £22.4m for their star forward with another £3.5m due in add-ons.

His five seasons in Italy saw him bang in 40 goals from 134 appearances — despite missing all the 2010-11 campaign thanks to a knee ligament injury.

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