Javi Garcia is set to join Zenit St. Petersburg this week…
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Manchester City midfielder Javi Garcia is close to completing a move to Russia giants Zenit St. Petersburg, with the deal expected to be completed before the end of the week.
The Daily Mail are reporting that the 27-year-old will undergo a medical and discuss personal terms on Thursday. His departure will allow the Premier League champions to meet the foreign player criteria put in place by the FA.
A team can only register a certain number of overseas players per season, and City were well aware of their need to force through sales to accommodate the arrivals of Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala. If they had failed to do so they would essentially be paying the wages of a player who would not be permitted to play for them.
The Spaniard never lived up to his billing at the Etihad Stadium since a 2012 move from Benfica, and was perhaps the most obvious choice for manager Manuel Pellegrini.
Meanwhile, Vincent Kompany and David Silva have signed new long-term deal at the Etihad Stadium, with both players aiming to be part of a third title campaign in just four years.
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