Enzo Perez to Valencia: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

La Liga giants Valencia have confirmed they have agreed to purchase Argentine international Enzo Perez, with the move subject to a medical.

The club announced the transfer on their official website, saying Perez will join from Benfica on Jan. 2, on a permanent deal.

The 28-year-old had been linked with a move to the Premier League with Manchester United, per Jamie Anderson of the Express, but Valencia have now beaten Louis van Gaal to the punch to capture the midfielder.

Tom Conn of InsideSpanishFootball.com quoted Perez speaking about his move to Spain, with the midfielder saying he looks forward to completing his medical on Tuesday:

“I’m very happy to come to Valencia.  Tomorrow [Tuesday] will be a very long day.”

Football writer and presenter Andy Brassell described Perez's transfer as one of the worst kept secrets in Portuguese football.

And Bleacher Report's Clark Whitney scrutinised the validity of the deal—questioning whether a team which carries incredible amounts of debt should be allowed to make such a purchase.

However, football writer Sergi Dominguez described the deal as January's most exciting so far:

Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press

Perez has been pivotal to Benfica in recent times—appearing 18 times in all competitions this term, per WhoScored.com.

Conn says Valencia will pay €25 million for Perez plus an additional €5 million in add-ons, with the player signing a four-year contract with the Mestalla club.

Perez would have been a strong signing for Van Gaal as he looks for a tough midfielder for his growing squad, but at 28 years old his fee does look steep, despite his talents.

The player had a fine World Cup for Argentina and he is clearly a quality European-class standard player but Valencia fits his profile more than one of the bigger teams in world football.

He will certainly help Valencia's balance in the coming months as they look to finish in one of the Champions League qualification places. The team are currently fourth in La Liga, per Sky Sports, and they face a huge battle to hold on to this spot.