David Silva completes £24m Manchester City move and vows to bring trophies to Eastlands

By Chris Wheeler for the Daily Mail
Updated: 03:01 EDT, 1 July 2010

David Silva has completed his £24million move from Valencia to Manchester City.

The Spain winger is moving to Eastlands on a four-year deal and becomes Roberto Mancini’s second World Cup signing of the summer following Germany defender Jerome Boateng’s £10m transfer from Hamburg.

The Silva deal was completed - subject to a medical - after Spain reached the quarter-finals with victory over Portugal in Cape Town on Tuesday night.

Eastlands bound: David Silva (centre) has agreed to join City

Sportsmail revealed last week that City had seen off late interest from Chelsea to snare Silva, but Spanish officials wanted to be sure of progressing in the tournament before the deal was confirmed and were wary that he could have been accused of putting personal ambition before his country if they had lost to their neighbours.

Gracias: Silva enjoyed his time at Valencia

However, once Silva’s former Valencia team-mate David Villa scored to clinch their place in the last eight, they were keen for the move to go through as quickly as possible.

Silva, 24, who has been at Valencia since 2004, will officially sign after the World Cup.

'I have enjoyed six years at Valencia, they discovered me as a footballer and they will always be a special club for me,' he said.

‘The time is right for me to seek a new challenge, and I am thrilled about playing in England with Manchester City.

'I believe the Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world and I want to bring success to City and win trophies for them.

Midfield marauder: Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure (centre) should be next

‘I want to say that I always hoped to come to Manchester City and I am excited about my future there.

'They are a club with a great future with fantastic players. I want to be an important player in Manchester City’s history.

‘There has been a lot of speculation about me in the British and Spanish media, and I need to fully concentrate on playing for Spain in the World Cup.

'That is why my advisers have been dealing with City for me so that I can have my attentions only on South Africa and playing well for my national team.’

First arrival: Germany defender Boateng

City boss Mancini, who hopes to add Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure before the end of the week after agreeing a £28m deal with Barcelona, is delighted to have signed Silva.

‘I think that David Silva is one of the best midfielders in Europe, and I hope he will be a very important player for Manchester City,' said the Italian.

‘I am so pleased he is coming to us, I think he can make a big, big impact for Manchester City.

'In signing David, we are showing the world that we are bringing the best players here and that we hope to compete to win the Premier League.

‘When players see what is happening at City and the ambition they are attracted to what we are building and want to be a part of it.

‘I hope he does very well for Spain in the World Cup and then joins us for our pre-season, ready to compete in the Premier League. I am very excited about seeing him playing for City.’

Real Madrid had been lining up a deal for Silva earlier this year only for new boss Jose Mourinho to prefer other targets.

Barcelona and Chelsea have also courted him, while Liverpool tried unsuccessfully to sign him last summer. 

City's deal for holding midfielder Toure is all but done, but must be rubber-stamped by new Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, who officially starts his job on Thursday.