Escude seals Sevilla switch

Sevilla have completed the signing of French defender Julien Escude.

The 26-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a three-and-a-half year deal and becomes the Primera outfit's first capture of the transfer window.

Sevilla boss Juande Ramos had been keen to bring in defensive cover having allowed veteran Pablo Afaro to join Racing Santander and seen Pablo Ruiz struck down by injury and has agreed to pay around ‚é¼1.5 million (£1 million) for the Frenchman.

Escude had fallen out of the first-team picture at Ajax and was keen to move on to press his claims for France's World Cup squad ahead of this summer's showpiece in Germany.

The former Rennes stopper had offers on the table from Fulham, Auxerre and Sochaux, but always favoured a switch to Spain.

His capture would seem to have brought an end to Sevilla's interest in Argentine starlet Walter Garcia.

The 21-year-old left back plies his trade for San Lorenzo in his homeland, but with left-sided Escude equally at home at full back or in central defence a move for Garcia now seems unlikely.

However, Ramos is still looking to bring in a right back having missed out on his main target, Liverpool's Josemi.

The Sevilla chief is eager for cover with Daniel Alves currently his only orthodox option in that position.