Roque Santa Cruz to Cruz Azul: Latest Transfer News, Rumours and Reaction

Malaga striker Roque Santa Cruz is set to complete his move to Liga MX side Cruz Azul having successfully passed his medical with the Mexico City outfit.

The former Manchester City man is to be sold for £500,000 and, according to Inside Spanish Football, will become one of the highest-paid players in the Mexican league with a contract worth $2 million (€1.6 million, £1.25 million).

Having joined Malaga in the summer of 2013 after a year-long loan from City, Santa Cruz scored nine goals in 43 La Liga appearances, per WhoScored.com, and has expressed his excitement at the greater competitiveness of the Mexican league, per Inside Spanish Football:

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There are a lot of people who think I’m playing the best football of my career and that makes me feel very comfortable and happy to be able to come to Cruz Azul. I’ve been playing a lot in this first half of the season and that gives me a lot of confidence that I can fulfill expectations. I’m coming for the competition, because Mexican has a much more competitive league and there’s a different feeling of playing here, where I know that there’s a lot more pressure to have success and to play well.

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Santa Cruz admitted to also having offers to join the MLS, but it seems Cruz Azul was the most attractive option for him.

La Maquina recently finished fourth in the Club World Cup—qualifying because of their 2014 CONCACAF Champions League win—beating Western Sydney Wanderers before losing to Real Madrid in the semi-finals and Auckland City in a surprising third-place playoff, per ESPN FC:

Santa Cruz joins an attacking unit that includes the likes of Pablo Barrera and Mariano Pavone, and the 33-year-old should bring added quality to the club's forward line.

As La Liga writer Jamie Kemp highlights, Santa Cruz's departure from Malaga leaves the Spanish side short on out-and-out strikers, but their loss is Cruz Azul's gain:

While Santa Cruz is most definitely reaching the end of his career, he still has a lot to offer, and as a physical presence up front, he is always likely to cause problems for opposition defenders.

Cruz Azul should definitely benefit from his addition to the squad, and he brings a great deal of experience having played at a top European level for many years.