Atlético sign Rodrigo de Paul

Diego Pablo Simeone already has a new reinforcement to face the season of the defense of the League title: Rodrigo de Paul.

The 27-year-old Argentine midfielder signs for five seasons with Atlético de Madrid, which pays 35 million euros to Udinese.

"I go to the champion and I know the responsibility that it entails," said the footballer.

The midfielder comes from being one of the most prominent of the Argentine team, champion of the Copa América. He played six of the seven games, all but the last of the group stage against Bolivia, scored in the quarterfinals against Ecuador and assisted Di María in the final in Maracana against Brazil. His teammate Ángel Correa has been a fundamental piece in convincing the midfielder that his place is at Atlético: “Correa is a great support for me. He spoke extremely well of Atlético, of the whole club ”.

Simeone, who has insisted on his signing to the rojiblanca board, is another incentive for De Paul. “I love football and I live it every day, and being led by a coach of the caliber of Simeone is a privilege. It also makes you proud as a compatriot, I like to be at his command because I was born watching him play with the Argentine national team shirt ”, admits the player.

De Paul returns to the Spanish League five years after his departure from Valencia, where he arrived in Peter Lim's early years at Mestalla as one of the great pearls of Argentine football.

He returned to his country for a brief stint at Racing before returning to Europe to sign for Udinese, where he has played 184 games scoring 34 goals and providing 36 assists.

This last season, he has been the player who has won the most duels (289), the most dribbles he has tried (182) and the most fouls he has caused (126) of the entire Serie A.

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