Higuaín and Reina check in at Napoli

SSC Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has announced that the club have secured the services of Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuaín from Real Madrid CF and goalkeeper Pepe Reina from Liverpool FC.

Higuaín has arrived in Naples for a reported fee of €37m which could reach €40m if the striker meets bonus criteria. He has signed a five-year contract. Reina, meanwhile, arrives on a season-long loan deal from Liverpool.

"Both players have passed their medicals and they will soon join the rest of the group," De Laurentiis said. "On Monday we will have a great party at the San Paolo stadium and the fans will be able to meet the new players."

The task of the 25-year-old Higuaín will be to fill the void created by Edinson Cavani's departure for Paris Saint-German FC. Higuaín leaves Madrid with an impressive tally of 107 goals from 190 Liga appearances since he arrived in the Spanish capital from CA River Plate in January 2007. He also has 21 goals from 33 Argentina outings, yet a combination of surgery on a slipped disc and competition for places with Karim Benzema meant he was limited to 19 league starts last term.

As for Spanish international Reina, he leaves Anfield after eight seasons having found himself surplus to requirements after Liverpool signed Sunderland AFC goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The 30-year-old will be reunited at the San Paolo with Rafael Benítez, his former manager at Liverpool. Reina has 28 caps for Spain, and was a member of their triumphant UEFA EURO 2008, UEFA EURO 2012 and 2010 FIFA World Cup squads.

Napoli finished second in last season's Serie A and will therefore feature in the UEFA Champions League group stage draw on 29 August. The Partenopei have already bolstered their squad this summer with a number of acquisitions, including winger Dries Mertens from PSV Eindhoven, goalkeeper Rafael from Santos and another pair of Real Madrid players – winger José Calléjon and defender Raúl Albiol.