Bayer Leverkusen have completed the signing of left-back Miguel Gutierrez from Napoli on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €26m, the Bundesliga club have confirmed.

The 25-year-old Spaniard arrives at the BayArena after just one season in Serie A, where he made 36 appearances for Napoli. During that campaign, Gutierrez helped the Italian side keep six clean sheets while contributing one goal and one assist as they finished second in Serie A and won the Supercoppa Italiana.

Statistically, Gutierrez was one of Napoli's most productive defenders last season. Among the club's defenders, he created the second-most chances (26), won the fourth-most tackles, and won the sixth-most duels (97) — numbers that underline his attacking pedigree from the left flank.

Filling the Grimaldo void

Gutierrez is expected to step straight into the role vacated by Alejandro Grimaldo, who departed for Atletico Madrid earlier this summer. Grimaldo had been a key figure in Leverkusen's recent success, and the club have moved swiftly to secure a like-for-like replacement with a strong attacking profile.

The signing represents a statement of intent from Leverkusen, who have secured a player with recent experience at the highest level of Italian football and a proven track record of contributing in the final third.

Gutierrez: "I always want to be successful"

Speaking to the club's official website, Gutierrez expressed his excitement about the move and his ambitions for the coming seasons:

"The club has really impressed me over the past few years; Bayer 04 have an excellent reputation in Italy and also in my home country of Spain."

"I've heard a lot about the Bundesliga, I've watched matches and I'm really looking forward to the atmosphere in German stadiums."

"Above all, though, I always want to be successful, both domestically and internationally. Bayer Leverkusen, with their fantastic squad, give me the best possible conditions to achieve that."

Pre-season and the road ahead

Gutierrez has already linked up with his new team-mates for pre-season training. Leverkusen have a challenging set of warm-up fixtures lined up, including matches against Sevilla, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle United before the start of their competitive campaign.

The German side kick off their season proper with a DFB-Pokal first-round tie against Wehen on August 22, before beginning their Bundesliga campaign against newly promoted Elversberg a week later.