New Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas is ‘motivated’ by becoming the club’s most expensive ever signing.
The Spaniard joined the Catalan club earlier this week from Benfica for initially €20m plus a further €2.5m in add-ons.
De Tomas joined Lisbon giants Benfica from Real Madrid in the summer in a €20m switch but did not scored a league goal for the club, for whom he has made just seven appearances in the competition.
The 25-year-old netted 14 La Liga goals in 32 starts on loan at Rayo Vallecano last season but it was not enough to save the side from relegation back to the second tier.
Indeed the player, who was out on loan from Real Madrid for four successive seasons, had scored a total of 59 goals across loan spells with Cordoba, Real Valladolid and Rayo.
“For me it is important to have a long contract. My idea is to make history here and to do great things with this club,” De Tomas is cited as saying by Diario Sport.
“It motivates me to be the most expensive player in the history of a club as important as Espanyol are, and it gives me a lot of responsibility.
“I'm going to leave everything to return the trust they have placed in me.”
Espanyol sit at the foot of La Liga and have struggled for goals this campaign – no player has netted more than twice in the league this campaign.
On Tuesday, Estadio Deportivo reported that Sevilla were interested in signing de Tomas to replace the outgoing Moanes Dabbour, who has joined Hoffenheim.
