Claudio Bravo to Manchester City: Barcelona goalkeeper joins for £13.75m to push Joe Hart closer to Etihad exit
Bravo is new City manager Pep Guardiola's first choice as Hart's future remains unclear
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Your support makes all the difference.Claudio Bravo is set to bring down the curtain on Joe Hart’s Manchester City career by making his club debut against West Ham United on Sunday after completing a £13.75m transfer from Barcelona.
Bravo, 33, takes Pep Guardiola’s spending at City manager this summer to beyond £170m after completing his move from the Spanish champions.
The deal for the Chile international could yet cost City a further £2.5m in performance related clauses, but with the transfer being finalised ahead of Friday’s noon deadline for registration of players to play at the weekend, Bravo is now expected to face West Ham at the Etihad – a move which would spare the goalkeeper a debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford following the international break on September 10.
“I’m very proud to be joining Manchester City,” Bravo told the City website. “I know the club is building something very special and I hope I can be part of many successes in the coming years.
“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.
“Now I will challenge the other great goalkeepers the Club has and together I hope we can win many trophies.”
Guardiola is now set to sanction the departure of England number one Hart following the arrival of Bravo.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has insisted he has no interest in Hart, leaving the 29-year-old with limited options in terms of a move elsewhere before next Wednesday’s transfer deadline.
But having sealed a deal for Bravo, Guardiola insists City have signed a keeper at the peak of his career.
“Claudio is a fantastic goalkeeper and an excellent addition to our squad,” Guardiola said. “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.”
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