On the penultimate day of the Spanish transfer window, Valencia CF have signed the Tunisian Aymen Abdennour for €20m transfer fee from Ligue 1 club AS Monaco. The 26-year-old defender signed a five-year-contract until 2020.
Although the defender played in the Champions League Play-offs against his new club Valencia and lost against them with 3-4 on aggregate, he will be available his new side in the Champions League group stage and following knockout matches, because the Play-offs doesn't count in terms of the the official competition.
In the Champions League group stage, he has to defend the goal of his new teammate Mathew Ryan, who is replacing injured Diego Alves in goal, against Zenit St. Petersburg, KAA Gent and Olympique Lyon in Group H.
"I love the footballing culture here"
Ahead of the official presentation on the pitch of the Estadio Mestalla, the player was first presented by Valencia's chairwoman Layhoon Chan and he talked after her speech.
The chairwoman, which was nominated by majority owner Peter Lim, called the new signing "as one of the best defenders in Europe" and said that he is a "young and strong player with great potential." From what she has seen from him over the last days, she knows that he is "a perfectionist."
After her speech and some words about upcoming match against league rival Deportivo La Coruña, it was the turn of the press conference's star Aymen Abdennour.
The player feels "very happy to sign with Valencia CF" and is excited about the team's potential to make "a lot of progress." He added that he had "many choices," but was impressed by the "interest of the club".
Abdennour finished his speech with the words: "Valencia CF are a great club, and well known in Europe. I can offer professionalism, avaibility to my teammates and har work."
His time in France with Monaco and Toulouse
He joined the Ligue 1 club on the first of July 2011 from ES Sahel to for a transfer fee of €0.5m. For Toulouse, the defender stand 82 times on the pitch and was a regular player for the French club.
In Winter 2014, Toulouse loaned out the defender to AS Monaco and six matches for Monégasques later, the then Champions League member decided to buy the Tunisian for a transfer fee of €13m.
He now moves to Valencia for a new challenge.