News

Manchester City break British transfer record to sign Robinho, United sign Berbatov

02 Sep, 2008 09:54 AM

Manchester City flexed their new financial muscle after agreeing a £32.4 million ($68.67 million) swoop for Real Madrid winger Robinho less than an hour before the transfer window shut on Monday.

City had hoped to land Dimitar Berbatov after agreeing a British record fee of over £30 million ($63.58 million) for the Tottenham striker.

But Manchester United beat the transfer deadline to complete a £30.75 million ($65.17 million) deal for the Tottenham striker.

Berbatov, 27, agreed a four-year contract with United and Tottenham confirmed the deal on their website 45 minutes after the transfer window shut.

He opted to join the European champions following talks with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at the club's Carrington training ground.

United's young striker Fraizer Campbell has gone to Tottenham in a year-long loan as part of the deal, while the London club have agreed not to pursue a complaint against United for making an illegal approach to the player.

Brazilian Robinho had been desperate to join Chelsea but the Blues infuriated Real by making public their interest before a deal had been agreed and City, bankrolled by prospective new owners Abu Dhabi United Group, made their move.

"My feeling has always been that if a player is not happy he should not remain at the club," Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told Spanish news radio Cadena Ser after the deal was closed.

Calderon said it was the fourth-biggest transfer in football history after the deals that saw Portugal's Luis Figo and France's Zinedine Zidane join Real and the one that saw Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko join Chelsea.

"It's an extraordinary operation," he said.

Only on Sunday, Robinho told a brief news conference that he had informed Madrid president Ramon Calderon, sports director Predrag Mijatovic and coach Bernd Schuster of his desire to move to Chelsea.

And Chelsea, who are managed by Robinho's former Brazil manager and compatriot Luiz Felipe Scolari, had reportedly offered Robinho a large increase on his current annual salary of about 2.1 million euro ($3.62 million).

But City's improved financial status appears to have given them the advantage over Chelsea, who have recently enjoyed a huge edge over their rivals because of the backing of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

Earlier Monday, Spurs started the last day of transfer activity until January by sealing their £14 million ($29.67 million) move for Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, while Croatia right-back Vedran Corluka also arrived at White Hart Lane from Manchester City.

Liverpool captured Spain winger Albert Riera from La Liga side Espanyol for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old signed a four-year contract at Anfield after choosing Rafael Benitez's side over a host of other clubs, including neighbours Everton.

He joins Vitor Flora at Liverpool after the 18-year-old Brazilian striker, who holds an Italian passport, agreed a free transfer.

But striker Andriy Voronin and full-back Steven Finnan departed Anfield.

Voronin agreed a one-year loan deal with German side Hertha Berlin while Espanyol have moved for Finnan on a two-year contract.

Not to be outdone by their Merseyside rivals, Everton confirmed the signing of French striker Louis Saha from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee.

Saha signed a two-year deal with an option for a third year and has been joined at Goodison by Wigan keeper Carlo Nash.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp signed Algerian international left-back Nadir Belhadj on loan from French club Lens.

Newcastle signed Valencia's Uruguayan midfielder Nacho Gonzalez on a one-year loan deal.

West Ham left-back George McCartney returned to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract.

Blackburn strengthened their squad with the acquisition of goalkeeper Mark Bunn, 23, from Northampton on a four-year contract.

Fulham signed Coventry midfielder Julian Gray on a season-long loan, sold Collins John to NEC Nijmegen and cancelled the contract of former Chelsea midfielder Alexei Smertin by mutual consent.

Defender Danny Higginbotham, 29, rejoined Stoke from Sunderland on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Hull landed Rangers striker Daniel Cousin just 24 hours after the Gabon striker scored and got sent off in his side's Old Firm victory at Celtic.

West Bromwich Albion swooped for AZ Alkmaar defender Ryan Donk on a season-long loan deal with a view to a permanent deal.

Quaresma and Milito lead the Italian deadline deals

Inter Milan were the only one of the big Italian football teams active in the transfer market on deadline day with a pair of signings - one expected, the other a little surprising.

FC Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma finally concluded his on-off transfer to the Italian champions for a fee of around 17 million euro ($29.23 million), with clauses that could see that rise to more than 30 million euro ($51.58 million).

Also joining the club is Italo-Brazilian 14-year-old Yago Del Piero from Treviso's junior team.

Genoa made probably the most impressive move of the transfer deadline by bringing back Argentine forward Diego Milito from Real Zaragoza.

They also took Serbian midfielder Bosko Jankovic on loan from Palermo, who let Brazilian striker Tulio De Melo go back to France to join Lille but brought in forward Davide Succi from Ravenna for 1.5 million euro ($1.75 million) .

Napoli have been busy on transfer deadline day, bringing in 30-year-old defender Salvatore Aronica from Reggina on a four-year deal for 3 million euro ($5.16 million).

Heading out the door, though, is defender Maurizio Domizzi, who has joined Udinese.

Torino, meanwhile have signed Macedonia-born Swiss under-21 international midfielder Blerim Dzemaili on loan from Bolton.

And finally Cagliari have brought in Argentine defender Carlos Matheu from Independiente while letting another defender, Cristiano Del Grosso, leave for Siena.

Transfers announced by English Premier League clubs on the final day of the summer transfer window:

BOLTON

Departed players - Blerim Dzemaili (Torino, loan)

EVERTON

New players - Louis Saha (Manchester United), Carlo Nash (Wigan)

FULHAM

Departed players - Collins John (NEC Nijmegen, loan)

LIVERPOOL

New players - Albert Riera (Espanyol), Vitor Flora (Botafogo), Peter Gulacsi (MTK Budapest)

Departed players - Steve Finnan (Espanyol), Andriy Voronin (Hertha Berlin, loan)

MANCHESTER CITY

Departed players - Vedran Corluka (Tottenham)