Barcelona signs Neto in swap of back-up goalkeepers with Valencia

Valencia's goalkeeper Norberto Neto kicks the ball during the Europa League round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Krasnodar and Valencia at the Krasnodar Stadium in Krasnodar, Russia, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Vitaliy Timkiv/AP)

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona says Brazilian goalkeeper Neto will sign a four-year contract with the Spanish champions.

The transfer completes a swap a day after Barcelona sold Jasper Cillessen to Valencia.

Barcelona says it is paying 26 million euros ($29.5 million) plus possibly another 9 million euros ($10.2 million) in variables for Neto. Valencia paid Barcelona 35 million euros ($40 million) for Cillessen.

Neto will replace Cillessen, who played as a backup for Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Champions League and the Spanish league and only regularly started in the Copa del Rey.

The 29-year-old Neto helped Valencia qualify for the Champions League with a fourth-place finish for the past two seasons in Spain. He also played in Italy at Juventus as a backup to Gianluigi Buffon and at Fiorentina after starting at Brazilian club Paranaense.

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