Salernitana have reached agreement with Guillermo Ochoa, who will join on a free after terminating his contract with Club America. The Granata were looking for a reliable goalie since their starter Luigi Sepe will miss some time in January due to a calf strain, La Repubblica reports.
The 37-year-old just participated in his fifth World Cup, joining a very exclusive list of players. He parried away a PK by Robert Lewandowski in the Qatari edition. He has accumulated 135 caps with Mexico. The shot-stopper will reach Italy Thursday and ink a six-month contract with an option.
Salernitana will be the fifth European team for Ochoa. He previously starred for Ajaccio, Malaga, Granada, and Standard Liege. Club America already announced his departure. He spent ten years with them in two separate turns, racking up over 400 appearances.
The veteran has saved 17 penalty kicks throughout his career, often on the biggest stage. He has won the Gold Cup four times with El Tri, one domestic title and the Concacaf Cup with America, and the Belgian cup in 2018. He made the Balloon d’Or 50-man shortlist back in 2007.
Salernitana reportedly mulled a few options before landing on Ochoa. He ultimately beat out Torino’s deputy Etrit Berisha, Il Mattino informs. He heads back to the Old Continent after four years. The goalkeeper never received an opportunity from a major club. He lastly played 86 times for Standard Liege, conceding 113 goals and keeping 22 clean sheets before returning to his home country. He has manned the sticks in nearly 700 total matches.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |