Manchester City have completed the signing of Nicolas Otamendi on a five-year deal from Valencia.
Otamendi, 27, was also linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid but chose to move to the Premier League for fee that sources have told ESPN FC is £31.5 million.
#mcfc are delighted to announce the signing of @Notamendi30 Full story: http://t.co/liMiPMjOae #WelcomeNicolas pic.twitter.com/1yrH3NYDmz
- Manchester City FC (@MCFC) August 20, 2015
The Argentine becomes City's fifth summer signing, after record buy Raheem Sterling, midfielder Fabian Delph and young forwards Enes Unal and Patrick Roberts, and takes their spending close to the £100 million mark. The transfer was facilitated because Valencia still owed City money after signing Alvaro Negredo for €30m.
Otamendi told the club website: "I am here to give my best, to fight game by game and push City to the highest peaks for as long as possible, and I wish we will be able to win several cups and titles.
"That's the most important. To be here inside a club that looks so wonderful from the outside is a dream."
The defender's arrival gives City five centre-backs, along with Demichelis, captain Vincent Kompany, his former Porto teammate Eliaquim Mangala and youngster Jason Denayer.
Mangala had been linked with a loan move to Valencia in return for Otamendi but sources told ESPN FC he was going nowhere and Denayer's agent has admitted the 20-year-old Belgian may look for a temporary switch elsewhere.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini said he was delighted with the capture.
"Nicolas Otamendi was arguably the best defender in La Liga last season and so naturally I'm delighted to have added a player of his quality," he said.
"He is an established international for one of the best nations in world football and I have no doubt that he has the right mentality to fit into a squad where he will find many familiar faces, including Eliaquim and Fernando who he played alongside in Portugal.
"As a footballer, Nicolas has all of the qualities to be a success in the Premier League -- he's strong, he's excellent in the tackle and he's very good technically. I am sure he will become another Argentine player our fans will enjoy watching."
Otamendi, who has been capped 25 times by his country, has been given the No. 30 shirt at the Etihad Stadium.
The Argentina defender joined Valencia last summer from FC Porto and scored six goals in 25 league appearances to help Los Che finish fourth in La Liga last season. The centre-back was also a member of the Argentina team that finished runners-up to Chile in the Copa America last month.
The former Velez Sarsfeld and Porto player becomes a sixth Argentinian in the City squad, along with Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Willy Caballero and Bruno Zuculini.