Atlético swoop for Sporting defender Insúa
Club Atlético de Madrid have signed Sporting Clube de Portugal full-back Emiliano Insúa for a reported fee of €3.5m.
The 24-year-old – a former FIFA U-20 World Cup winner with Argentina – arrives at the Vicente Calderón for the next three and a half seasons and provides coach Diego Simeone with cover on the left where Filipe Luis currently operates.
Insúa began his career with CA Boca Juniors before moving to Liverpool FC where he made 46 Premier League appearances between 2007 and 2010. A loan switch to Galatasaray AŞ followed, prior to Sporting landing the defender on a five-year deal in August 2011. The Argentinian international has played 13 Portuguese Liga matches this term, besides featuring four times in the UEFA Europa League.
While Sporting have been eliminated from 2012/13 European competition, Atlético face FC Rubin Kazan in the UEFA Europa League round of 32 with the first leg in the Spanish capital on 14 February before the return in Russia a week later.