Benfica snatch Real´s Javi Garcia

Portuguese side Benfica have signed Spanish midfielder Francisco Javi Garcia Fernandez from Real Madrid, the Lisbon club said on Tuesday.

Benfica are paying a transfer fee of 7 million euros for the 22-year-old centre-back, according to Portugal’s soccer transfer market authority, the CVUM.

The player emerged from the youth academy at Real Madrid, playing in the Spanish club’s second team Castilla. He moved to Osasuna in 2007 but returned to the Bernabeu under a buy-back option last year.