Real sell Negredo to Sevilla

Real Madrid have sold highly-fancied striker Alvaro Negredo to Spanish league rivals Sevilla, both clubs announced Friday.

Negredo heads to the southern coast club for five years but for the first two years of that deal Real, who have recently signed a string of top forwards including Kaka, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, have the option to buy the player back.

Negredo was set to undergo a medical on Friday morning at Sevilla, who are delighted with the deal.

“Sevilla have recruited one of the best strikers in Europe,” said Sevilla in a statement.

Neither club revealed financial details of the deal.

Real had initially bought Negredo earlier this summer for five million euros from Almeria, where he scored 19 goals last season.

Reports in the Spanish media had linked Negredo with a move to the English Premier League, and with Real Zaragoza.