Real Madrid completed on Wednesday the signing of Liverpool's Spain international defender Alvaro Arbeloa.

The move completes a return to the club where the 26 year-old began his career.

Arbeloa was a product of the Real Madrid youth system, but he joined Deportivo La Coruna in 2006 in order to play first team football. He then moved to Liverpool at the start of 2007 and spent two and a half seasons with the Premier League club.

This Wednesday Liverpool posted an official communique on the club's website confirming an agreement had been reached with Real Madrid, who will pay around 4 million Euros to take him back to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Speaking on Tuesday Arbeloa commented that he had expected the deal to be resolved this week.

The defender becomes Real Madrid's sixth signing of a summer that has already seen the club spend over 220 million Euros, more than any other side in Europe.

Real Madrid is still interested in signing Liverpool's Spain international midfielder Xabi Alonso and also Bayern Munich's winger Frank Ribery.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2009)