After a stellar showing for the Uruguayan side at this past month’s 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the time has come for central defender Diego Godin to reap the personal rewards of their collective feats.
Godin is rumored to be entering La Liga, with the defender slated to join an improved Atletico Madrid outfit this coming August on a new 5-year contract.
The defender was deemed expendable by his former club at Villareal, after the signing of high-profile Carlos Marchena from Valencia to bolster their backline.
The rumored fee for Godin is expected to be 6.5 million pounds, and will be expected to provide an element of strength and solidarity to the Atletico defense.
Godin felt that his new club at Madrid will be more likely to compete in European competitions, and serve as a thorn in the side for perennial powerhouses, Barcelona, and city-rivals Real Madrid.
The defender stated that “it was time to jump to a team with more aspirations” in the Uruguayan newspaper Ovacion.
Not only will Godin be joining a team with added hopes for the upcoming 2010-2011 season, he’ll also link up with one of the world’s most in-form strikers and fellow Uruguayan Diego Forlan. The duo provide quite the contrast in styles, but will both be focused on steering the Madrid-based squad to European competition this campaign.
Too often immediately following a major international tournament, mediocre club players will cash in on extravagant new contracts with clubs desperate for help. Whether or not this transfer mirrors these previous instances remains to be seen. One thing is for certain though, Godin must enter Madrid with his customary confidence and strength within the centre of defense for Atletico. It all starts at the back, and the 24-year-old Uruguayan international must play to his potential in order for Atletico to have any hope of improving on their lackluster ninth place finish of one year ago.
