The Uruguayan centre-back has expressed his excitement and promised to give his all in this new chapter with the Yellow Submarine
Santiago Mouriño was officially unveiled on Wednesday as a new Villarreal CF player. Accompanied by the club’s director of football, Miguel Ángel Tena, the Uruguayan defender expressed his excitement at joining the Yellow Submarine: “It’s an honour to play for a Champions League team like Villarreal CF.” He also set his sights on a strong season ahead: “We’ll give our all in every match. We’ll try to take the club as high as possible.”
Marcelino García Toral values Mouriño’s versatility, with the ability to operate both as a centre-back and at right-back. For his part, the Uruguayan emphasised his willingness to adapt to the team’s needs: “I’ve come here to do my job and fit into whatever position the boss asks of me. I’m ready to fulfil that role and contribute to the group.”
Mouriño also revealed there was no hesitation when the chance to join Villarreal arose: “When they called me, I was here within two or three days.” The defender also outlined his goals for the season: “We want to fight for the top spots. Personally, I’d like to play more so I can earn call-ups with Uruguay.”
The young South American defender reflected on what he learned from his previous experience at Alavés in Spain’s top flight: “You can’t give anything away to the forwards. But it was a year in which I learned a lot. Playing with the pressure of avoiding relegation is very tough. This year I hope to feel the pressure—but from being at the top.”
Finally, the Uruguayan defender spoke about how well he has settled into the squad: “I’ve found a very close-knit group, which makes everything much easier.”
Tena: “We signed him out of necessity”
The Yellow Submarine’s director of football, Miguel Ángel Tena, began his address by thanking last campaign’s players: “I’d like to thank all the players who were part of the squad last season and helped us qualify for the Champions League. We wish them all the best.”
He then explained the reasoning behind the signing of Santiago Mouriño: “We’ve seen three defenders leave. Mouriño is a versatile player, with both present and future. He can help us a lot defensively.”
Lastly, regarding the transfer market, he echoed the words of president Fernando Roig: “We are clear about what the team has and what it still needs. The manager tells us what he wants, and we go into the market trying to get as close as possible to the ideal profile.”
