Real Madrid pocket €9m as La Liga star makes Serie A move | OneFootball

After weeks of negotiations, Napoli have completed the signing of left-back Miguel Gutierrez. Following three stellar seasons at Girona, Gutierrez has secured a big move to the Serie A champions.

Gutierrez has attracted interest from a number of top European clubs over the past couple of seasons, off the back of a key role for Michel Sanchez’s upstart Girona. The deal, which was confirmed by Napoli on Tuesday, has gone through for €18m plus a further €2m in variables, as reported by Diario AS. He is currently recovering from ankle surgery, and is expected back in action shortly.

Real Madrid make profit on Miguel Gutierrez deal

The 24-year-old joined Girona initially on loan from Real Madrid three summers ago, before Girona made the move permanent for a fee of €4m. However Los Blancos did include a 50% sell-on fee, meaning that they will make €9m from the deal, and which could rise to €10m. Overall, Real Madrid have made a €5m profit from the deal, doubling their money.

Image via Marca

A major loss for Girona

Without Gutierrez, Girona will be missing one of their key players that continued to perform last season amid their struggles. Michel often moved Gutierrez around at times in order to exploit opposition weaknesses in midfield, and his ability on the ball was key for both their ability to play up the pitch, and break down opposition defences.

Alternatives for Michel Sanchez

It leaves something of a hole in their backline, with no natural left-back in their squad to replace him. In their La Liga opener, Daley Blind filled in at left-back, moving across from central defence. Arnau Martinez has also played there on occasion. AS say that Girona are focusing their efforts on bringing in a striker, but are also looking at Aston Villa’s Alex Moreno and Reims’ Sergio Akieme as potential additions to cover the loss of Gutierrez.