Official: Nicolas Otamendi is a Man City player

For weeks it was expected that Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi would join Manchester United. But their local rivals City have swooped in to sign the central defender.

Manchester City announced the deal via their website and social media channels, not long after the latest rumours had suggested the deal was off. https://twitter.com/MCFC/status/634289005593522176 The rugged defender joins Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph at the Etihad Stadium, and will have fellow Argentina internationals Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis and Pablo Zabaleta ready to welcome him into the City fold. Although the price tag may look relatively hefty at £31.7m, Otamendi was one of the stand-out performers in La Liga last season. He defensive proficiency against both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in one-on-one situations was particularly impressive.