La Liga side Villarreal have completed the signings of Valencia midfield pair Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin for a combined fee of €8m in an eye-catching double swoop.
A report in Marca claims the overall fee for former Arsenal midfielder Coquelin stands at a total of €8m, with €6.5m of that upfront, while the same media outlet also reports how Los Che captain Parejo has joined the Yellow Submarine as a free agent.
#Villarreal and @valenciacf_en have reached an agreement ???? for the transfer of @DaniParejo.#WelcomeParejo
???? https://t.co/TanebU4kjP pic.twitter.com/0PROyCUs2b
— Villarreal CF English (@Eng_Villarreal) August 12, 2020
Both deals will come as a huge surprise to observers of Spanish football due to the regional rivalry between the two clubs, with these swap deals likely to have been enticing to players as they would not have had to change their location or lower their salaries to complete the moves.
Parejo’s exit as a free agent is particularly surprising, as the experienced midfielder is seen as one of the top midfield performers in the top-flight of Spanish football and netted 65 goals across 381 official games at the Mestalla, after joining from Getafe in 2011.
#VillarrealTV ???? | Medical ???? with @AsisaSalud completed, contract signed ✍ and photos taken with his new shirt ????.@FCoquelin_off! ????#WelcomeCoquelin pic.twitter.com/UQbFyhyTyZ
— Villarreal CF English (@Eng_Villarreal) August 12, 2020
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Coquelin has made 89 first-team appearances for Los Che since his January 2018 switch from the Gunners and established himself as a fans favourite.
The arrivals follow the arrival of new boss Unai Emery, while the club have also secured the loan signing of Takefusa Kubo from Real Madrid.
