(Football news) Villarreal recently welcomed back two World Cup winners to their squad, but their first choice goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli will leave the Spanish club for the reigning Dutch champions. Ajax have confirmed the signing of Geronimo Rulli as the Yellow Submarine and the Dutch champions have finalized a deal that will be worth a minimum of €10m for Rulli, although the fee is expected to rise above €15m.Villarreal coach Quique Setien has veteran Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina and 20-year-old Dane Filip Jorgensen available to replace Rulli.

Rulli had subsequently joined Villarreal in 2020 after brief spells at Estudiantes, Real Sociedad and Montpellier as he mostly competed with Sergio Asenjo initially before he cemented his spot in the team. The 30-year-old is fresh off the back of a heroic performance in the Europa League final against Manchester United where he not only saved a penalty but also scored the winning one. He will always be remembered by the Yellow Submarine fans for delivering their first ever major trophy. In total, he has made 80 appearances for Villarreal, conceding 71 times as he joins the record Dutch champions.

“The truth is it all happened very quickly, we all wanted to do our part for it to turn out this way, and that’s how it did,” Rulli told reporters at the club’s training ground on Thursday, per Spanish newspaper AS. “It was good for the club, for me as well, and Ajax were very interested. I am happy for the achievements in these years here, for the path I have taken and I am very excited for what is coming now.”

“I will never forget that moment in my life, each time I think about it, my hairs stand on end,” added the goalkeeper. “It was a hard decision to take (to leave), there is nowhere I feel more comfortable than here, that’s something I saw before I came. But I am happy for the step that I will take in my career and I will miss (everyone here) a lot.”

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