Bengaluru, June 12: After a three-year stint with La Liga outfit Sevilla, Argentina defender Gabriel Mercado has switched to Qatar Stars League club Al Rayyan.
The QSL club announced the signing of Mercado on their Twitter handle, where a picture of him holding a team jersey was also posted.
But the club gave no details about the contract duration or terms. However, Spanish media reported that Mercado had been handed a one-year deal.
الريان يتعاقد رسميا مع الارجنتيني جايرييل ميركادو
— AlRayyanSC (@AlrayyanSC) June 11, 2019
في أولي صفقات نادينا للموسم الجديد يعلن النادي عن تعاقده رسميا مع المدافع الارجنتيني جابرييل ميركادو ليكون احد لاعبينا الأجانب في الموسم القادم، واللاعب الجديد قادم من نادي اشبيليه الإسباني الذي لعب معه في السنوات الثلاث الماضية pic.twitter.com/LqztTar1Bg
"In our first deal for the new season, the club announces it has officially signed the Argentine defender Gabriel Mercado to be one of our foreign players for next season," Al Rayyan posted on its Twitter account.
In another tweet Mercado has expressed his desire to be a "necessary addition" to the QSL side
.وقام اللاعب بالتوقيع علي عقده مع الريان وسط سعادة كبيرة من جانبه ورغبته ان يحقق الإضافة المطلوبة منه مع الرهيب في الموسم الكروي القادم. pic.twitter.com/ZRLS9M6C6k
— AlRayyanSC (@AlrayyanSC) June 11, 2019
Mercado had been with Sevilla since 2016 and impressed enough to be included in Argentina's 2018 FIFA World Cup team.
However, he was left out of the forthcoming Copa America squad by current coach Lionel Scaloni.
Al Rayyan, who will see the return of Uruguayan Diego Aguirre as their coach for a second term, will begin their pre-season training next month.