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Carlos Vela joins Real Sociedad from Arsenal
Jul 17, 2012 5:00:00 PM
The Mexican attacker has brought to an end his seven-year stint with the Premier League club in order to sign a permanent deal with the Spanish outfit
Carlos Vela has signed a four-year deal with La Liga side Real Sociedad, bringing to an end his seven-year stay with Arsenal.The Mexican striker was on loan with the Spanish outfit last season, finishing as La Real's top scorer with 12 goals and making seven assists in 35 appearances.
Vela has previously played on loan at Salamanca, Osasuna and West Brom after failing to nail down a place in the Arsenal first team since joining the club in 2005.
The 23-year-old is expected to put the finishing touches to the deal on Tuesday, though Sociedad have already announced an agreement, with an official presentation set to take place on Thursday.
Vela has represented Mexico at every youth level, playing at the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, and was a part of the senior side for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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Live!
Champions League final - LIVE!
German giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out at Wembley for European glory. Get involved by sending us your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook! Hosted by Mark Doyle.
5:53 PM BST
Just a reminder that our Champions League quiz is still going on over on Twitter, so there's still time to get involved. Another cracking question from quizmaster Chris Myson:
In this year's competition, five Barcelona players have completed more passes than anyone else - name them!
In this year's competition, five Barcelona players have completed more passes than anyone else - name them!
5:50 PM BST
The whole sporting world is watching tonight. Indeed, not even the glitz and glamour on offer in Monte Carlo will get in the way of F1 driver Nico Rosberg watching the Champions League final. His mother might, though! Clad in a Bayern jersey with his name on the back, Rosberg was interviewed by Sky Sport Germany earlier and explained that his sole focus at the moment is finding somewhere to watch the game, given his Dortmund-supporting mother is threatening to disown him. "I might have trouble getting into the house!" he admitted.
5:42 PM BST
Right, just over two hours to go until kick-off, so let's check in with our man Jay Jaffa, who says the atmosphere is already building at Wembley.
"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.
"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."
"Jurgen Klopp said in his pre-match press conference that were he to never make another Champions League final, he could die happy knowing that he took a team to the home of football - Wembley.
"And I can tell you as I look at the sea of yellow, black and red that fans of both sides feel similar - there are hordes of Dortmund and Bayern supporters already congregating around the national stadium, eagerly lapping up some late afternoon sun."
5:38 PM BST
It is this increasingly bitter rivalry between Bayern and Dortmund that almost guarantees fireworks at Wembley tonight, according to Bayern defender Dante, who spoke exclusively with Goal earlier this week.
5:34 PM BST
The aforementioned Gotze deal, and the way in which it was leaked to the press on the eve of Dortmund’s Champions League semi-final, first-leg clash with Madrid, has only intensified the antipathy between the two clubs, while, as you can see from the photo below, the man at the centre of the transfer has inevitably been caught in the crossfire. This is all nothing new, of course. Bayern may have loaned a cash-strapped Dortmund money a decade ago but the pair have been locked in a vicious – but entertaining – war of words in the wake of die Schwarzgelben’s subsequent re-emergence as a major force, and Daniel Buse and Enis Koylu have catalogued the best quotes here.
Inside Goal.Com
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The Dossier: Stop Martinez, stop Bayern
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'Mario, you will never redeem yourself'
Mario Gotze's injury means the playmaker has now played his final game for Borussia Dortmund. In an open letter, a fan tells of his emotion at his controversial switch to Bayern
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BVB's rise from the abyss to European contenders
BVB have recovered from teetering on the edge of bankruptcy to take their place on Europe's grandest stage, humbling their opponents on Saturday, Bayern Munich, along the way
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Top 10 all-time Champions League scorers
As the competition moves within days of its much-anticipated conclusion at Wembley, Goal profiles the most prolific players in its history
