Atletico Madrid sign Brazilian midfielder Assuncao

Atletico Madrid announced Sunday the signing of Brazilian midfielder Paulo Assuncao from Portuguese first division side Porto for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old will join his new teammates at Atletico on Monday, the Spanish club said in a statement posted on its website without specifying the length of his contract.

Assuncao joined Porto in 2005 from AEK Athens but has been eager to leave the Portuguese club after falling out with its management.

Atletico said meanwhile that is was in talks with several clubs which are interested in signing its Portugal international Maniche, 30, ended last season out on loan at Inter Milan after having fallen out with coach Javier Aguirre.

“Returning to Atletico would be difficult, if not impossible. They sent me out on loan because of Aguirre, because we had great differences of opinion and being with him became impossible,” he told sports daily Marca last month.

It is the fifth signing for Atletico which finished fourth in La Liga last season and will therefore return to the Champions League stage after an 11-year absence.

The club has signed defenders Johnny Heitinga from Dutch side Ajax and Tomas Ujfalusi from Italian side Fiorentina as well as French keeper Gregory Coupet from Lyon and French striker Florent Sinama Pongolle from Recreativo Huelva.