Southampton manager Ronald Koeman has expressed his delight following the arrival of Toby Alderweireld from Atletico Madrid.
The Belgian international has joined the Saints on a season-long loan after struggling for playing time at the Spanish champions.
"I am delighted that we have been able to bring Toby to the club," he told Southampton's official website. "I know him very well because he played for some years for Ajax in Holland and he then made a transfer to Atletico Madrid, where he hasn't been playing an awful lot, which is why he was looking for somewhere else to play.
"I think our first conversation was four or five days ago and I told him about our plans, about the ambition of the club and about how we play. He is a strong defender, and is also very good at building up the play when we play out from the back.
"He played in the top league in Spain and against top teams in Europe, so he has a lot of confidence and experience, and he has a big future because he is still young. We needed competition in our squad, and with Toby here we now have a lot of possibilities and quality."
Alderweireld made 22 appearances for Atletico last season after joining the club from Ajax.
Alex Meyers
