Atletico end keeper search with Aranzubia signing
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E-mail Xinhua, August 13, 2013
Atletico Madrid have signed former Deportivo la Copruna goalkeeper, Dani Aranzubia on a one-season deal, it was confirmed on Tuesday.
The move ends Atletico's search for a player to provide backup to Belgian international Thibault Courtois, who will spend his third season on loan at the club from Chelsea.
The fact that Atletico will play in the Champions League this season means the club need experienced backup to Courtois and Aranzubia, who made one appearance for Spain in 2004, provides just that.
A product of the Athletic Club Bilbao youth system, he spend most of his early career with the Basque club, before joining Deportivo six seasons ago. However, Deportivo's return to the Spanish second division and the club's financial crisis has opened the door for him to leave and swap the second division for the Champions League, while Atletico signed him after a breakdown in talks to sign Getafe keeper, Miguel Angel Moya last week..
"I am very happy to have joined a team that is as big as this one. I am very happy and looking forward to getting down to work," said Aranzubia, who admits it will be difficult for him to be first choice.
"I know that Atletico have a great keeper, but I have come here to do my job, to compete and to help the squad do things as well as possible," he said, adding he had not yet spoken to coach Diego Pablo Simeone.
"I haven't spoken to him, I've only spoken to the medical staff," he said.
Elsewhere the ongoing saga of Real Madrid's chase to sign Gareth Bale from Tottehnam Hotspurs continues without much progress appearing to be made, while FC Barcelona are still struggling to find a central defender to add depth to their squad after Liverpool rejected a move for Danish international Daniel Agger. Liverpool coach Brendon Rodgers said on Tuesday that Agger had given his word he would not leave this summer.
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