Blackburn Rovers have completed the signing of Paraguayan front-runner Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich. The 25-year-old, who has put pen to paper on a four-year deal, will move to Ewood Park on 1 August in a deal which is expected to bank the German giants in the region of £3.4 million.
Santa Cruz experienced an injury-plagued not nonetheless trophy-laden eight-year spell in Bavaria, but following the arrivals Italian sharpshooter Luca Toni, 2006 FIFA World Cup™ adidas Golden Shoe winner Miroslav Klose and the emerging Jan Schlaudraff his days at Bayern appeared to be numbered. Following successive top ten finishes in the Premiership, Blackburn appear to be heading in the right direction and the ambition of manager Mark Hughes proved enough to convince the 6ft 2ins forward to join the 1995 English champions. The player had not been short on interest, with FC Porto, Manchester City and Espanyol among the teams rumoured to be keen on contracting him.
"He is a young player, an international with a good reputation," Hughes told Blackburn's official website. "The good thing from our point of view is that his fitness levels are fine as he has been playing for Paraguay in the Copa America."
Santa Cruz will now compete for places in the Rovers attack with Jason Roberts, Matt Derbyshire, Maceo Rigters and South African ace Benni McCarthy, the second top scorer in the Premiership last season. Incidentally, his long-time Bayern team-mate and fellow South American Claudio Pizarro also swapped the German top flight for its English counterpart recently, touching down in London with Chelsea.
Rapid ascent
Santa Cruz came to the fore at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Nigeria 1999, where his rich cocktail of skills led Paraguay into the second stage as unexpected Group A winners above the hosts, Costa Rica and Germany. Trailing 2-0 to Uruguay in the Round of 16, the then 17-year-old scored twice to take the game into extra time. Penalties ensued and with the shootout well into sudden death, Uruguay clinched a dramatic 10-9 victory to advance.
The youngster was swiftly promoted to the senior Paraguay side for the Copa America 1999 and he made the transition swimmingly, scoring three times in as many outings to help the hosts finish top of Group A on seven points. Paraguay ran into Uruguay in the quarter-finals, and once again the La Celeste emerged triumphant after a penalty shootout.
Soon after, Santa Cruz swapped his hometown club Olimpia, whom he had debuted for at the age of sixteen and helped win the 1998 Paraguayan Championship, for Bayern Munich. The Asuncion native has since won five Bundesliga titles and tasted UEFA Champions League glory in 2001, although he was a non-playing substitute in their penalty shootout defeat of Valencia in the competition's final. Especially in recent seasons, however, Santa Cruz has found goals hard to come by in the red of Bayern, and he will be hoping he can address this dry spell in Lancashire.
The gifted attacker has fared better at international level, and was a member of his country's squad at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. In the recent Copa America Venezuela 2007, he netted a hat-trick in Paraguay's 5-0 win over Colombia in Group A, which took him second on their all-time leading scorers list behind Jose Cardozo.
Blackburn Rovers will begin their 2007/08 league campaign away at Middlesbrough on 11 August, before Aston Villa visit Ewood Park four days later.
Paraguayan footballer  has left Bayern Munich for . Roque Santa Cruz signed a four year deal. Roque Santa Cruz became expendable after major signings by Bayern Munich. Santa Cruz became 5th choice striker after , ,  and . Blackburn Rovers beat Manchester City, Porto and  for the signature of Roque Santa Cruz. The fee is reported to be around 3.4million.

Santa Cruz experienced an injury-plagued and trophy-laden eight-year career in Munich. Santa Cruz scored 31 goals in 155 league appearances and seven goals in 51 UEFA Champions League games for Bayern Munich. He won five German titles, four German Cups and one UEFA Champions League title with Bayern Munich.

Blackburn coach  was quoted as saying, "Santa Cruz is a young player, an international with a good reputation who is playing at a top European club." and "The good thing from our point of view is that his fitness levels are fine as he has been playing in the Copa America."