Malaga have formally confirmed the signing of Villarreal midfielder Santi Cazorla for a reported 21 million euros.
Cazorla has signed a five-year contract, with the midfielder’s release clause set at 45 million euros by his new club.
Cazorla is the ninth signing of the summer for the ambitious club, who are coached by Cazorla’s former boss at Villarreal, Manuel Pellegrini.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Joaquin and Jeremy Toulalan have been the most high-profile arrivals, with Cazorla’s transfer fee eclipsing the club record paid for Toulalan when he joined from Lyon in an 11 million-euro deal.
It will be seen whether all these new players can be molded into a cohesive unit, but if they can, a Champions League place is not an unreasonable goal for Malaga this season.