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Swansea City complete signing of defender Jose Manuel Flores

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments11

Jose Manuel Flores

Swansea City have completed the signing of defender Jose Manuel Flores from Genoa for an initial £2m.

Flores completed a medical on Monday and agreed a three-year contract, subject to international clearance.

The 25-year-old Spanish player is Michael Laudrup's first signing as Swansea City manager.

Centre-back Flores, known as Chico, also played for Laudrup at Real Mallorca during a loan spell in Spain's top division.

"I know I am joining a club that has been growing over the last few years and is still ambitious to go even higher," Flores told Swansea's official website.external-link

"Having played in La Liga and Serie A, two great leagues, it's a dream come true to play in the Premier League, one of the best, if not the best in the world.

"I have been studying Swansea on the internet and I know I am joining a club with passionate supporters who are very close to the players."

Flores began his career with Cadiz and spent loan spells with Racing Club Portuense and Barcelona B before joining Almeria in 2008.

In July 2010 Flores joined Genoa in Italy and spent the 2011-12 season on loan at Mallorca during Laudrup's time as manager.

The defender has won three caps for Spain's Under-21 side and was a member of their squad at the 2009 Uefa Championship.

Villarreal midfielder Jonathan de Guzman is also close to joining Swansea on a season-long loan.

Midfielder De Guzman, a Netherlands Under-21 international born in Canada, also played under Laudrup at Mallorca.

The 24-year-old joined Villarreal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £7m, in August 2011.

Born in Ontario, Canada, De Guzman moved to the Netherlands as a youngster when he joined Feyenoord's youth academy and played over 100 games for the Rotterdam club.

In July 2010, he joined Mallorca on a free transfer and made 38 appearances before being sold to Villarreal.

De Guzman opted to represent the Netherlands after he gained Dutch citizenship in 2008.

He has won four caps for the Netherlands Under-21 side and also played at the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

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11 comments

  • Comment posted by The Realist, at 14:51 10 Jul 2012

    Does this mean it's Chico Time?

  • Comment posted by The Realist, at 08:52 11 Jul 2012

    @5

    No offence, but I don't think there is any reasoning for you so I will just say my part and leave it at that, those "real" clubs in Manchester and London are looking pretty skint in the purse but still thrash out the cash. If only they knew there was a double dip recession about to hit the finance world, because they will be like Rangers in two years time.

  • Comment posted by bazz, at 18:58 10 Jul 2012

    I think Laudrup knows what he is doing. He has worked with Chico and de Guzman before and knows what they can do.

  • Comment posted by User0766887094, at 14:37 10 Jul 2012

    Wasn't good enough to play first-team football from Genoa. Hasn't achieved anything meaningful in his career yet and he's 25.

    Hopefully Laudrup discovers some untapped potential in him.

  • Comment posted by User0746233483, at 11:40 11 Jul 2012

    Who!

  • Comment posted by User0532785436, at 16:35 10 Jul 2012

    Laudrup knows the player and how to get him playing so that should be good for Swansea...better the devil you know

  • Comment posted by colonel wendell, at 06:24 12 Jul 2012

    On another note.Why dont the swans try and get andy carroll on loan from liverpool.There is supposedly a special relationship between huw jenkins and brendan rogers.
    I think it would work out for everyone concerned.

  • Comment posted by D1679329324560, at 21:24 10 Jul 2012

    Good to see 'sensible' signings being made. Whether or not it works out is irrelevant- a £2million failure can be coped with.

    It's the £50m and £35m mistakes that the BPL needs to stop making.

  • Comment posted by User0899147828, at 18:03 10 Jul 2012

    @upteenth - he probably kept his head down and plodded along knowing he wasn't good enough to shine out - that's what people do in all other organisation/workplaces so why would a football pitch be an better? Unless he turns into Nesta overnight, in which case he better catch a National Express to London or Manchester where the real clubs are.

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