Malaga has continued their spending spree by buying Santi Cazorla from Villareal, their 10th signing of a wild summer for the ambitious club. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports out of Spain have the fee as high as €22 million. The Spain international is another piece of an overhauled Malaga team that is aiming at a top four spot in La Liga with the backing of a new, wealthy owner from the Qatar royal family.
Big-Spending Malaga Buy Santi Cazorla From Villareal
“They have been very enjoyable years but football carries on,” Cazorla said at his new conference. “I have a very exciting project ahead at Malaga and now I must focus on that.”
It is a bit strange to see a top player like Cazorla leave a team like Villareal that qualified for the Champions League this season for a team that finished 11th, but Malaga is no average mid-table squad thanks to their new owner. Malaga also recently bought Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jeremy Toulalan and Joaquin Sanchez, among others. With Cazorla on the wing, Malaga can now stretch the field wide and create space in the center. Cazorla will also be rejoining manager Manuel Pellegrini, something Cazorla described as "key" in his move to Malaga.
The 26-year-old joined Villareal in 2003 and scored 23 goals for the Yellow Submarine. He was a star for Spain's U-20 team before making his debut for the senior team in 2008 and playing for Spain's Euro 2008 winning squad.
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