As expected, Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera has moved from one established Champions League side to another.
La Liga giants Atletico Madrid announced the signing of Herrera on Wednesday, a widely-reported move after the 29-year-old bid farewell to his club Porto on social media the day before, leaving the Portuguese giants after six seasons and nearly 250 appearances, serving as captain last season.
Herrera joins Atletico Madrid on a free transfer after the expiration of his Porto contract, and will have plenty of competition at the Wanda Metripolitano. The club already has Koke, Saul Niguez, and Thomas Partey in the middle of the pitch who all racked up at least 2,700 minutes last season, plus the addition of big-money signing of 24-year-old Marcos Llorente from Real Madrid. Herrera likely joined as a replacement for 22-year-old Rodrigo who left to join Manchester City.
The club announced Herrera’s deal with Atleti is for three years.
The Mexican international owns 70 international caps but was one of the many stars not called into the squad for the 2019 Gold Cup by new head coach Tata Martino, alongside Carlos Vela, Javier Hernandez, and Jesus Corona. Martino opened the door for a return to the national team on Tuesday, saying that, “Like I’ve said, aside from the case of Carlos, who made a public statement, there is no other player that the doors are closed for.”
