Manchester, Aug 20 (IANS) Manchester City on Thursday announced the signing of defender Nicolas Otamendi on a five-year deal.

The Argentine international follows England winger Raheem Sterling and midfielder Fabian Delph to City and will wear the No.30 shirt, the club announced in a statement.

Otamendi leaves Spanish club Valencia. He was part of Argentina’s runners-up campaign in the 2015 Copa America.

Otamendi said: “I am here to give my best, to fight game by game and push City to the highest peaks for as long as possible, and I wish we will be able to win several cups and titles.”

“That’s the most important. To be here inside a club that looks so wonderful from the outside is a dream.”

Manager Manuel Pellegrini added: “Nicolas Otamendi was arguably the best defender in La Liga last season and so naturally I’m delighted to have added a player of his quality.

“He is an established international for one of the best nations in world football and I have no doubt that he has the right mentality to fit into a squad where he will find many familiar faces, including Eliaquim and Fernando who he played alongside in Portugal.

“As a footballer, Nicolas has all of the qualities to be a success in the Premier League – he’s strong, he’s excellent in the tackle and he’s very good technically. I am sure he will become another Argentine player our fans will enjoy watching.”