BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Argentine goalkeeper Franco Armani has announced his departure from Colombia's Atletico Nacional as he bids to make his World Cup dream a reality.

The 31-year-old has agreed to join Argentine giants River Plate, who are understood to have paid the Medellin club a 1.6 million-euro transfer fee.

"I asked Atletico Nacional to allow me to fulfill my wish to play with a big club in my country," Armani wrote in a social media post.

"It's a dream ... [and] could give me the chance to get closer to the eyes of the national selectors as the World Cup draws nearer."

Armani made 249 appearances for Nacional after joining the club from Argentina's Deportivo Merlo in 2010.

He is yet to be called up for Argentina's national team, whose first-choice goalkeeper is currently Manchester United reserve Sergio Romero.

The 2018 World Cup will be played in Russia from June 14 to July 15. Enditem