Jasper Cillessen Seals Move From Barcelona to Valencia
Jasper Cillessen has agreed a deal to join Valencia, bringing his four years with Barcelona to an end.
He recently spoke of his desire to leave the Camp Nou to find first-team football, questioning Barcelona's decision to demand £53m for him. However, it now appears that the Blaugrana have managed to strike a deal.
Valencia confirmed the news on their official Twitter account, with a video of a man signing a contract, and then lifting a pair of classic Dutch clogs.
The Dutchman managed just 32 appearances for Barcelona, finding himself firmly behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the pecking order at Camp Nou. He largely had to settle for appearances in cup competitions, making just five appearances in La Liga.
Cillessen has remained the first-choice goalkeeper for the Netherlands and featured in every game of their UEFA Nations League run, impressing as the Dutch made it to the final of the competition.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/GettyImages
His move to Valencia is expected to pave the way for Brazilian Neto to move in the opposite direction, with Barcelona eager to secure a new backup goalkeeper as soon as possible. Mundo Deportivo claim that Neto's move will be delayed until July, in order to help Barcelona balance out their spending for the year.
Cillessen will bring plenty of Champions League experience to the Estadio Mestalla, having turned out in the competition for both Barcelona and former club Ajax since 2013.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/GettyImages
During his time with the Blaugrana, Cillessen managed to win La Liga twice, whilst he also started all but one game in their two Copa del Rey triumphs in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 campaigns.
However, with Ter Stegen showing no signs of decline, he has opted to test himself with Valencia, who will be looking to push on from their fourth-placed finish last season.
