Football: Spain international striker Negredo completes move to Man City from Sevilla

Sevilla's forward Alvaro Negredo reacts during the Spanish league football match Sevilla FC vs Malaga CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla on Dec 15, 2012. Negredo became Manchester City's third major signing of the close season wh
Sevilla's forward Alvaro Negredo reacts during the Spanish league football match Sevilla FC vs Malaga CF at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla on Dec 15, 2012. Negredo became Manchester City's third major signing of the close season when he completed his move from Sevilla to the English Premier League football club on Friday, July 19, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (REUTERS) - Spain international striker Alvaro Negredo became Manchester City's third major signing of the close season when he completed his move from Sevilla to the English Premier League football club on Friday.

Negredo, 27, follows Jesus Navas in making the switch from Sevilla to City. Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho also joined City last month from Shakhtar Donetsk and the club are on the verge of completing the signing of Montenegro forward Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina.

City have spent in the region of £90 million (S$172 million) on the quartet according to media estimates around Europe. British media said the deal for Negredo was worth £16.4 million, which could rise to around £20 million with add-on clauses.

Announcing the transfer on their website (www.mcfc.com), City said Negredo would join the rest of the squad on their pre-season tour and he will wear the No. 9 shirt next season.

Negredo finished as joint-fourth top scorer in the Spanish Primera Liga last season with 25 goals, trailing only Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Radamel Falcao.

A graduate of Rayo Vallecano's youth academy, the forward only made a handful of appearances for the then-third division side before Real Madrid signed him in 2005.

Although the Madrid-born Negredo never played a game at first-team level at the Santiago Bernabeu, he did feature regularly for a B team which included Javi Garcia, Juan Mata and Alvaro Arbeloa among others.

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