Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Mexican defender Carlos Salcedo on a year’s loan from Deportivo Guadalajara, a day after confirming that Jesús Vallejo will not be re-joining the club.
The 23-year-old, who spent last season on loan at ACF Fiorentina, put pen to paper ahead of traveling to Russia to play for Mexico in the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Frankfurt have an option to buy him out right. He is the fourth player to sign for the Eagles so far this summer.
A replacement for Vallejo
Salcedo follows the path of international teammate Marco Fabián, who joined the Eagles from Guadalajara last summer. He will effectively be a like-for-like replacement for Vallejo, with Frankfurt confirming on Monday that parent club Real Madrid wished for him to return to the Bernabéu.
Salcedo had played in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake before joining Guadalajara in early 2015. He has made 60 appearances for them so far, but made the move to Europe last summer with Fiorentina.
He appeared 18 times for the Viola in Serie A last season, however he did not do enough in that loan spell to convince Fiorentina to take up their option to buy him – allowing Eintracht to pounce.
Salcedo looking forward to playing in the Budnesliga
Frankfurt sporting director Fredi Bobic said that the club had been “watching Carlos for a long time,” and he described him as “a centre-back that does not shy away from any tackle” and “a real Mexican warrior.”
Salcedo meanwhile said that he is “very excited” about the prospect of playing in the Bundesliga and for his new club. He calls it “a great step” for him to play in Germany.
He is the club’s fourth new signing of the summer, joining Sébastien Haller, Danny da Costa and Gelson Fernandes. The club have also this week tied down Slobodan Medojevic for another twelve months, whilst goalkeeper Heinz Lindner, who is being released, signed on Tuesday for Swiss club Grasshopper Club Zürich.
Quotes via ESPN FC and Bundesliga.