Sunderland AFC have completed their sixth signing of the summer, confirming the season-long loan of Atletico Madrid full-back Javier Manquillo.
Coming back to the Premier League
Manquillo has joined Papy Djilobodji, Donald Love, Paddy McNair, Adnan Januzaj and Steven Pienaar on Wearside, initially on a loan deal from Diego Simeone's side, with the option to make deal permanent on a four-year contract.
The 22-year-old is no stranger to the English top-flight, having spent the 2014-15 season on loan with Liverpool. However he only made 10 league appearances for Brendan Rodgers.
The Spaniard spent last season on loan at Marseille, and Manquillo said he was delighted to be with the Black Cats.
“I am very happy to come back to the Premier League,” he told safc.com and admitted "I’m really pleased to sign for Sunderland because they have tried really hard to get me here and since the very first minute they have been really welcoming."
Manquillo was adamant to the club's website:“I come to Sunderland with a lot of experience. I am very happy to be here and I can assure every single Sunderland fan that I will be giving my best at every training day and match," and was firm in the statement "I want to give everything inside of me for this club."
Doing very good things
Manquillo arrives at reasonably bad time for the Wearside club, both on and off the pitch. The club are lacking form having lost their first two league matches, and a growing injury list.
However they received a confidence boost with the 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town, and Manquillo believes the club are heading in the right direction.
“Since the very first minute I arrived at the club I have met some great people and they are looking forward to big things.” he continued.
Manquillo concluded: “This club is very big and I cannot expect any better, so I think the club is going to have a great future," and was adamant that “Everything I have seen since I came is a club that is looking forward to doing very good things.”
Sunderland AFC will take on Southampton at St Mary's Stadium on Saturday, August 27 with kick-off at 3pm BST.