Negredo set for Valencia move (UPDATED)

Sky Sports are reporting that a deal for Alvaro Negredo to move to Valencia is edging closer and should be completed by the deadline later this evening (UK time).

The move - should it complete - will be initially a loan deal for the 2013/14 with a commitment (note not an option) to complete a permanent transfer for a fee in the region of £25 million next summer.

Now, in isolation the move is one you can live with. Negredo started off like a train last season, proving an immediate and popular hit, but struggled over the second half of the season through a mixture of loss of form and a troublesome injury. Had we seen the peak of Negredo already, not a historically prolific goalscorer or was there more to come?

With FFP considerations it is difficult to turn down a straight profit of around £5-10 million (depending on the structure of the deal) for a player who is 29 years old (whilst not quite in the realm of NFL running backs is an age to be concerned about) and also reportedly keen to move back to Spain.

The concern?

City and Valencia working hard to finalise the Negredo transfer. All parts very possitive it will take place. City wont sign a replacement

— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) September 1, 2014

If true then City would be riding the season, or January at least, with Sergio Aguero (with injury problems), Stevan Jovetic (with injury problems) and Edin Dzeko (with consistency issues). One to ponder for sure. Does Manuel Pellegrini go with one striker, David Silva as the #10 and utilise the depth in midfield?

Confirmation one way or the other shouldn't be far away.

UPDATE:

Well, this one went right to the wire. Confirmation now in though:

COMUNICADO OFICIAL – Álvaro Negredo #BenvingutNegredo7 http://t.co/Q0jXqHUjhn pic.twitter.com/LjnBNgL3HE

— Valencia CF (@valenciacf) September 1, 2014