MADRID, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Athletic Bilbao on Saturday strengthened the forward line with the signing of powerful striker Maroan Sannadi from Deportivo Alaves.

The striker, who celebrates his 24th birthday on Saturday, was born in the city of Vitoria and thus enters into Athletic's policy of signing only players born and raised in the Basque Region on Northern Spain and the South-West corner of France.

Sannadi spent the first half of this season on loan from Alaves at Barakaldo in the RFEF I (third tier of the Spanish game) and is the top scorer in Group I of that division with 11 goals in 20 appearances for Barakaldo, with one of those goals coming in Barakaldo's 2-0 win away over Athletic Bilbao's B team in January.

The signing is reported to have cost Athletic around four million euros, with Sannadi signing a contract until 2029.

"Many thanks for this opportunity, which I have been waiting for all my life," said the striker, adding that he believed Athletic "has many of the values that I think I have," and he hoped "to return the confidence that they have shown in me."

Sannadi's arrival came a day after the club loaned winger Nico Serrano to second division Sporting Gijon for the rest of the season. Enditem

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