• Premier League

City sign Caballero as competition for Hart

ESPN staff
July 8, 2014
Willy Caballero was signed by Manuel Pellegrini at Malaga © Getty Images
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Manchester City have made their third signing of the summer by bringing in Malaga goalkeeper Willy Caballero.

Caballero, who has cost a reported fee of £6 million, will provide competition for first-choice goalkeeper Joe Hart. He has been signed by City manager Manuel Pellegrini for a second time after a spell together at Malaga, where they helped the Spanish club finish fourth in La Liga and reach the last eight of the Champions League.

Caballero arrives as a replacement for Costel Pantilimon, who the Premier League champions released at the end of last season and has since joined Sunderland.

But while Caballero only started seven league games in his three-year City career, Caballero offers more of an alternative to Hart. He began his career at Boca Juniors before spending seven years at Elche and then signing for Malaga in 2011.

Malaga made a last-ditch attempt to keep him, with president Abdullah Al Thani declaring on Sunday that he was not for sale, but City have got their man.

He joins Porto midfielder Fernando and Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna among Pellegrini's close-season recruits, with a centre-back also targeted.

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