FC Porto's Hector Herrera Agrees to Join Atletico Madrid on 3-Year Contract

Atletico Madrid announced free-agent midfielder Hector Herrera will complete his long-awaited move to the Spanish capital after he agreed to a three-year contract.

He will sign his deal on Thursday:

The Mexico international had been linked to Atletico throughout the 2018-19 campaign, and at the start of June, Marca's Pablo Egea reported an official announcement was only a matter of time.

The 29-year-old has been a standout for Portuguese giants Porto for years, first arriving in Europe in 2013. A high-octane box-to-box midfielder, he should be a great fit for Atletico's energetic style of play.

The timing of the announcement on Wednesday came shortly after Atletico confirmed Rodri will be leaving for Manchester City.

Sports writer Robbie Dunne believes it's not a clean breakup:

Herrera won't be a direct replacement for Rodri, however. Atletico already signed Marcos Llorente in June, and the former Real Madrid man is more of a defensive specialist, who will be tasked with shielding the back four.

That will allow Herrera to worry less about his defensive duties and more about helping out in attack, where he can be a real nuisance. He scored six goals in the Portuguese top division last season, showing just how dangerous he can be.

Atletico are having a busy summer, saying goodbye to the likes of Rodri, Diego Godin and Lucas Hernandez, among others. Adding Herrera on a free transfer allows the club to spend big in other areas, most notably attack, where Joao Felix is expected to arrive soon, per AS' Manolete.