Real Madrid on Sunday night confirmed the signing of Costa Rican international goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
Los Blancos announced the 27-year-old’s arrival on a six-year deal after agreeing to meet his €10 million (Dh49.3m) buy-out clause at Levante and he will be presented at the Bernabeu tomorrow.
Navas saw his reputation rocket after a hugely successful World Cup campaign with Costa Rica, which saw him play a fundamental role in the South American team’s unexpected surge to the quarter finals.
He conceded just one goal as Costa Rica topped their so-called ‘group of death’ which also featured Uruguay, Italy and England.
Navas was then triumphant in a last 16 penalty shoot-out victory over Greece, but he saved his best for last with a stunning performance to force another set of spot-kicks against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.
Navas was a key figure in the Valencia-based club’s solid 10th-place finish last season, conceding just 43 goals in 38 games – a defensive record bettered only by the top four in Spain.
It was his first season as Levante’s first-choice No1, spending the previous two seasons largely as an understudy following a move from Albacete in the summer of 2011, having earlier started his career with Deportivo Saprissa in his homeland.
Meanwhile, La Liga side Villarreal are resigned to losing centre-back Mateo Mussachio – the club’s player of the year last season – with the Argentine set to move to Premier League club Tottenham.
Villarreal coach Marcelinho said: “If the club sell an important player it’s because the right conditions to do so have been met.
“Mateo is a very important pla-yer. He’s an excellent player and will be a difficult loss to cover, especially as he plays in a tough position to reinforce.”