Goalkeeper Jan Oblak Joins Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid and Portugal’s Benfica have reached an agreement that will bring Slovenian international goalkeeper Jan Oblak to Spain, the La Liga club said Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Oblak still must pass a medical exam before his transfer to the Spanish club is finalized.

The 1.86-meter (6-foot-1) net minder was part of a Benfica squad that won the Primeira Liga, Portuguese Cup and Portuguese League Cup titles last season.

Atletico Madrid’s Web site said the sporting director of the 2013-2014 La Liga champions, Jose Luis Perez Caminero, was “very satisfied” with the transfer.

Oblak is “a goalkeeper with a great quality and future, who will contribute a lot due to his enormous qualities. He’s one of the goalkeepers with more projection in the world and we’re very pleased to be able to count on him. It’s great news for our club,” Caminero was quoted as saying.

The return to Chelsea of Belgian Thibaut Courtois, the Atleti’s undisputed No. 1 goalkeeper over the past three seasons, and the departure of Daniel Aranzubia, whose contract with the Red-and-Whites expired on June 30, have prompted the club to sign two new net minders.

Besides the transfer of Oblak, Atletico Madrid last month signed Miguel Angel Moya from La Liga club Getafe.

The Slovenian is the fourth player Atletico has inked for the 2014-2015 season, following the signings of Moya, Brazilian left back Guilherme Siqueira (from Granada), and Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic (from Bayern Munich).

Atletico Madrid also is planning to sign a fifth player, Argentina’s Angel Correa, who underwent surgery on June 18 to correct a heart condition, although that deal depends on the results of a medical examination.

Wednesday also witnessed the announcement that Brazilian Filipe Luis will be leaving Atletico Madrid for England’s Chelsea.

That transfer deal, which is “pending the English club’s medical examination,” was reached after the Brazilian left back informed the Colchoneros of his desire to play for the London team, Atletico Madrid said in a statement.

Filipe Luis, 28, played in 180 matches for the Atleti over four seasons.

He will be reunited at Chelsea with Diego Costa, a Brazilian-born naturalized Spaniard who also left Aletico Madrid this summer for the Premier League side.

Published in Latino Daily News