THE BRAZILIAN ARRIVED IN MADRID TODAY Welcome, Felipe! The centre-back is to sign a three-year contract on Thursday, July 4.

Felipe Augusto de Almeida Monteiro arrived at Madrid airport on Wednesday. The Brazilian, who is to sign a three-year contract with our club on July 4, will arrive in the Spanish capital in order to start the pre-season with Simeone's team once his contract is signed.

Felipe is a versatile, experienced centre-back with leadership skills who was the captain at his previous club. The 30-year-old arrived at FC Porto in 2016, following impressive performances at Corinthians. He won several titles at the Brazilian club, such as the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, the 2013 Campeonato Paulista and the 2015 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A.

In Portugal, Felipe played 142 games over three seasons, during which he scored 11 goals despite being a defender.

With the Brazilian’s arrival, we add a fast centre-back who is able to play the ball out of defence and is always a threat in the air. With him, FC Porto kept 18 clean sheets last season, more than any other side in Portugal. Moreover, he was the third player with the most ball recoveries in the 2018-19 season (68). The Brazilian also has experience in the Champions League, having played 27 matches in the European competition.

