Atletico Madrid have signed River Plate midfielder Matias Kranevitter, according to their official site.

The 22-year-old Argentine passed a medical on Thursday and has signed a five-year-deal with the Madrid giants, but he won’t join up with his new teammates until December, after River Plate have played in the Club World Cup.

Kranevitter has been courted by multiple European clubs and is seen as a very hot prospect in Argentinian football.

The defensive midfielder, who has been likened to Javier Mascherano, made close to 100 appearances for River Plate in his time with the Argentinian giants and caught the eye of Manchester City, Valencia and Napoli.

After signing his contract, Kranevitter had this to say:

“I am grateful to Atletico Madrid for the opportunity they’ve given me.”

“I am very excited to be able to play such an important event as the Club World Cup with River Plate. It was nice to win the Libertadores for River after 19 years and I am very grateful to have the opportunity to play in such an important tournament.”

“I will give everything to Atletico from the beginning and try to adapt as quickly as possible to the working methods and Spanish football.”

The good news keeps coming for Kranevitter, as Argentina’s coach Gerardo Martino has recognised his talents and called him up the senior team for friendlies against Bolivia and Mexico.