The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsManchester City have signed goalkeeper Claudio Bravo for £17.1 million to replace current number one Joe Hart.
Beginning his managerial career at Barcelona, Pep Guardiola knows exactly what the Spanish side expects of their keepers. Since joining Barcelona in 2014 Bravo has won two La Liga titles and the Fifa Club World Cup.
Guardiola said: “Claudio is a fantastic goalkeeper and an excellent addition to our squad.
“He has experience and great leadership qualities and is in the prime of his life. He is a goalkeeper I have admired for a number of years and I’m really happy he is now a City player.”
Bravo will go straight into the first team after being brought in to replace Joe Hart. The England international is looking likely to leave this transfer window with Guardiola having reservations about his ability as a ‘sweeper-keeper’.
“I’m very proud to be joining Manchester City. I know the club is building something very special and I hope I can be part of many successes in the coming years”, Bravo told the official Manchester City website.
“I have followed City’s progress in recent years and obviously know some of my new team-mates from the Copa America.
“It is not easy to leave a club like Barcelona where I had two fantastic years. But the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola was too good to refuse.”
The goalkeeper began his professional career at Colo-Colo in Chile in 2002. Going on to make 123 appearances before joining Real Sociedad for in 2006. Bravo made 229 appearances for Real Sociedad in eight seasons. Helping them gain promotion to La Liga before moving to Barcelona for £9.7 million in 2014.
During his two seasons at the Chile international has won eight different titles, including La Liga, Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, he was named in the 2014/15 La Liga team of the season and voted Copa America’s best goalkeeper in 2015 and 2016.
Joe Hart is expected to leave Manchester City in this summer transfer window to make way for Claudio Bravo. Both Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund are reportedly interested. While Merseyside clubs Liverpool and Everton are favourites to sign him in the betting.
