Former Spain International and Valencia legend Carlos Marchena has signed with Indian Super League franchise Kerala Blasters ahead of the second edition of the lucrative football league in India, Spanish daily Marca has confirmed.
While it is unsure if the 35-year-old defender has been snapped as a marquee player, the report from Spain has stated that the 2010 World Cup winner with Spain had received several offers – reportedly from the A-League and the MLS -- before he zeroed in on the ISL side's offer.
The decision was taken after the player trained alone for a year, following his release from Deportivo La Coruna last summer.
The Spanish daily may have stated the signing has been completed, but after further investigations, Goal India has revealed that the player is yet to sign on the dotted line for the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned side.
However, the deal is supposedly going to be completed within a week.
"The negotiations are on however, the player hasn't yet put pen to paper. This should be closed sometime in the next seven days or so," an insider told Goal.
The Spaniard is undoubtedly going to bring oodles of experience to the side, once his transfer becomes official, as the player has played alongside Spain greats like Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, and Raul, among others.
With two La Liga awards with Valencia, along with an UEFA Cup, and a Copa del Rey, as well as an UEFA Super Cup, Marchena – who fits all the bills to become a marquee player in the ISL – will join the likes of his compatriots Luis Garcia (Atletico de Kolkata) and Joan Capdevilla (NorthEast United FC), who were the marquee players in the ISL last year.
An U-20 World Cup winner in 1999, as well as an Euro winner in 2008, before clinching the ultimate big catch of the FIFA World Cup in 2008, Marchena can be a superb addition for the Peter Taylor-coached side, who were the finalists last year in the ISL.
The report from Spain also said that the utility defender decided to sit the last year out, and with the help of his ex-manager José Luis Oltra [at Deportivo], he trained with Recreativo de Huelva.
Marchena earned a total of 69 caps for the Spain senior team, before he drew curtains on his international career in 2011.
Meanwhile, Goal has also reported that Blasters are also closely linked with the transfer of 22-year-old midfielder and Barcelona youth product Josue Currais Prieto.
