Transferuri Campionate Externe

Ranieri eyes Falcao swoop

Claudio Ranieri says AS Monaco are hopeful of securing Radamel Falcao's signature in the off-season.

The striker has been tipped to leave Atletico Madrid in favour of a switch to the newly crowned Ligue 2 champions in the close season, and Ranieri believes the Colombia forward will be the perfect player to spearhead Monaco's redevelopment.

"Who wouldn't want a player who always scores? We hope he can join us. That way we can start building for the future", he told Sky Sports.

AS Monaco beat Le Mans 2-1 to secure the Ligue 2 title on Friday, having already won promotion back to Ligue 1, and Ranieri said they want to challenge for top flight honours next term.

"Our objective now is to play in Champions League. Why would we not be able to make it into Europe again next season?" he told France Football.

Santana set to seal Schalke move

Borussia Dortmund defender Felipe Santana has agreed a 3-year deal ahead of a controversial move to Ruhr rival Schalke.

The Brazilian defender has found it hard to break into the BVB first team during his 5 years at Signal Iduna Park, having found himself firmly behind Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic in the pecking order.

With Christoph Metzelder - another former Dortmund defender - having announced his retirement earlier this week, Jens Keller's side has been in the market for a new center-back.

Meanwhile, another Schalke defender, Kyriakos Papadopoulos has also been heavily linked with a move away from the club, leaving Jens Keller's side short of options at the back.

Santana has long been linked with a move to the Veltins Arena and has now sealed a contract until 2016 worth around €3 million per season for a fee of €1 million, which is his release clause.

Raţ set for West Ham transfer

Răzvan Raţ looks set to complete a free transfer move to West Ham, according to the player's agent.

The Romania international's contract at Shakhtar Donetsk is expiring and the left-back is believed to have been a target for the Hammers since the January transfer window.

Agent Florin Manea claims that a deal could be concluded as soon as Monday with Sam Allardyce a big fan of the 31-year-old defender.

"I am with Răzvan in England, we are negotiating with the West Ham officials."

"We will probably sign the contract on Monday. The trainer has put him on the top of the wishlist and the owner has approved the move."

Fulham sign Boateng

Fulham have announced the signing of Ghana international midfielder Derek Boateng on a free transfer.

The 30-year-old, who has 47 caps for his country, joins Martin Jol's side after leaving Dnipro, having previously played for Getafe.

After the club received international clearance for Boateng, Fulham's newest recruit revealed his delight at joining the club and said he would give everything while he was there.

"I'm very happy that I have signed and I want to thank the chairman, the manager and the board at Fulham", he told the club's official website.

Fiorentina capture Yakovenko

Fiorentina have announced the signing of striker Oleksandr Yakovenko from Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old joined the Belgian club in 2008 and, after being loaned out on 2 occasions, returned to provide a haul of 7 goals in 20 Jupiler League appearances last season.

That form has caught the eye of Italian outfit Fiorentina, leading to their acquisition of the Ukrainian on a 3-year deal on Wednesday.

Yakovenko has just one international cap for Ukraine, which came during a 1-0 friendly win over Norway in June 2010.

Higuain convinced he will join Juventus

Gonzalo Higuain is convinced that he will leave Real Madrid to join Juventus this summer, according to goal's sources.

The striker, 25-year-old, is edging closer to a Santiago Bernabeu exit having agreed a yearly wage of around €6 million with the Serie A giant, which stormed the Scudetto for the second consecutive campaign.

Juve sporting director Giueseppe Marotta has already confirmed that the Bianconeri are chasing the Argentine and now the only missing piece in the transfer, after days of negotiation, is a transfer fee with Los Blancos.

Madrid want €25 million, though, Antonio Conte's side has only gone as high of €20 million as of Wednesday, an agreement is expected to be met in the next few days.

Higuain has made 188 appearances for the Madrid side, scoring 120 goals in the process.

Werder Bremen complete Petersen signing

Werder Bremen have announced the permanent signing of Nils Petersen from Bayern Munchen on a 4-year contract.

The striker has spent the last year on loan at Werder, scoring 11 goals in his 35 appearances for the club as they survived relegation with one game of the Bundesliga season remaining.

His move to Werder proved a good one, as he ended the season as the club's joint-top goal-scorer with Aaron Hunt and impressed the hierarchy enough to want to sign him on a permanent basis.

Peterson joined Bayern in May 2011, having been second division top scorer for Energie Cottbus, but he found opportunities limited by the other striking options at the club.

The 4-year contract will see Petersen remain at Werder until 2017, and he is looking forward to continuing his goalscoring feats next season.

AS Monaco splash out for Moutinho & Rodriguez

AS Monaco have confirmed the double-signing of FC Porto pair Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez on 5-year deals.

The Stade Louis II outfit, who are set to round off their Ligue 2 campaign this weekend after already sealing the title, have long been linked with a move for the duo, and have now formalised a €70 million double transfer as they aim to re-establish themselves at the top of French football.

A statement from FC Porto confirmed that Moutinho has moved in a €25 million deal while Colombian starlet Rodriguez costs €45 million.

Moutinho joined FC Porto from Sporting Lisbon in 2010 and has since helped them to 3 Portuguese titles and a Europa League crown.

Forward Rodriguez moved to Estadio do Dragao from Argentine outfit Banfield in the same year and has scored 32 goals in 3 seasons.

AS Monaco have also been strongly linked with a €60 million move for Colombian hot-shot Radamel Falcao, who is set to depart Atletico Madrid after helping them into the Champions League for next term.

The club came into wealth in December 2011 after a consortium headed by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev bought two-thirds of the club with an assault on the Ligue 1 title expected, as well as Europe.

Zenit to re-sign Tymoshchuk

Former Zenit Sankt Petersburg captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is poised to rejoin the Russian club on a free transfer next season after spending 4 years at Bayern Munchen.

The 34-year-old Ukraine midfielder, who captained Zenit to the Russian league title in 2007 and the UEFA Cup the following year, moved to Bayern before the 2009/2010 Bundesliga season.

Zenit will also sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Yuri Ladygin from Greek side Xanthi as cover for Vyacheslav Malafeyev.

Zenit finished second behind CSKA Moscow this season after winning the league title for the past 2 years and qualified for the Champions League preliminary round next season.

AS Monaco interested in Diego Lopez



AS Monaco are reportedly monitoring Diego Lopez' situation at Real Madrid.

The 31-year-old has been reported this week as being prepared to hand in a transfer request at Santiago Bernabeu amid the expectation that whoever replaces Jose Mourinho as coach will restore Iker Casillas to the starting line-up in his place.

AS say that it is a situation that Monaco are aware of and that they see him as a suitable option to go for this summer.

Chelsea leads chase to sign Arda Turan

Chelsea is reportedly interested in signing Atletico Madrid playmaker Arda Turan at the end of the season, according to Galatasaray president Unal Aysal - who is also keen to secure his services.

The Turkey international is a highly-rated attacking player and has enjoyed a successful season with the Rojiblancos, having secured the Copa del Rey against rival Real Madrid and a third place finish in La Liga.

Galatasaray has been closely monitoring the 26-year-old's progress but their president admits they would be unable to offer the kind of money the Blues have.

The west London club is looking to add depth to its squad in time for next season, having struggled to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City in Premier League, and some of Europe's top clubs in Champions League.

Arda would offer competition in wide areas to the likes of Eden Hazard and Oscar, with Andre Schurrle another potential option out wide.

Arda, who has a contract until 2015, has scored 4 league goals and 6 assists this season for Atletico.

Barca confirm Neymar deal

Spanish champions FC Barcelona have agreed the signing of Brazil striker Neymar from Santos.

The 21-year-old will sign a 5-year contract, the club said, with the player confirming he will sign his contract on Monday.

Neymar had been considering his future after his club Santos revealed on Saturday that they had accepted 2 offers for their star player, with Barca confirmed as one of the bidders and Real Madrid widely assumed to be the other.

The 21-year-old's contract at Santos was due to expire at the end of next season and some reports had suggested an agreement with FC Barcelona was reached as much as a year ago.

Neymar is a superstar in Brazil, and his departure will be a big blow to fans of Santos, who had hoped he might stay until after next year's World Cup in the country.

With Neymar, who made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2009, Santos have enjoyed their greatest period of success since Pele was playing for the club, winning 3 straight Campeonato Paulista titles and the Copa do Brasil.

The crowning glory came in 2011 when the club won the Copa Libertadores for the first time since 1963 and Neymar was named the South American Footballer of the Year as well as winning the Puskas Award for the world's best goal.

Kolo agrees Liverpool switch

Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle to sign Manchester City defender Kolo Toure when his contract expires next month.

The centre-back will be registered as a Reds player when his current deal at Etihad Stadium expires in the coming weeks and he will officially join the club on 1 July.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has turned to the 32-year-old in order to add some experience to his back 4 following the retirement of veteran Jamie Carragher.

The Reds manager is keen to get his business done as early as possible to avoid the sort of problems which arose last summer.

Toure's vast wealth of Premier League experience, having joined Arsenal in 2002 before moving to City, provides an ideal stop-gap while the Reds manager looks for younger alternatives with greater potential.

Carvalho moves to AS Monaco

AS Monaco have further strengthened their squad for next season with the signing of Ricardo Carvalho from Real Madrid.

The 35-year-old former Chelsea centre-back has put pen-to-paper on a one-year contract with the Ligue 2 champions.

The Portugal international joined Real from Chelsea in 2010, having won the Champions League with FC Porto when they beat AS Monaco in the 2004 Final.

Colombian striker Radamel Falcao also appears to be on the brink of a £50 million move from Atletico Madrid and is reportedly set to undergo a medical, while FC Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes is also said to be close to completing a transfer.

Liverpool agree Aspas fee

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a £7.7 million fee with Celta Vigo to sign highly-rated Spanish striker Iago Aspas.

The 25-year-old has scored 60 goals in 130 appearances for Celta and was strongly linked with a move to the Premier League in January.

Reading showed an interest, but were put off by Aspas' price, while Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea had also been mooted as admirers.

However, it is now understood that Liverpool are poised to win the chase for Aspas, who has a €10 million release clause in his contract.

Fiorentina seal Alonso deal



Marcos Alonso has joined Fiorentina on a 3-year deal from Bolton Wanderers.

The 22-year-old moved to Reebok Stadium from Real Madrid in 2010 and was a key figure for Bolton following their relegation to the Championship last year.

The Spaniard made 46 appearances during his 3-year spell with the Trotters and Fiorentina were believed to be chasing his signature during the January transfer window.

Alonso's contract was due to expire at the end of June and a number of Premier League clubs, including Hull City and Stoke City, were reported to be interested in him.

But he opted for a move to Italy instead, putting pen-to-paper on a deal that will keep him there until 2016.

Freiburg swoop for Hanke

SC Freiburg have signed former Borussia Monchengladbach forward Mike Hanke on a free transfer.

The former Germany international, who has played 269 games in Bundesliga, scoring 55 times, will strengthen the Black Forest club's attack next season.

The much-travelled 29-year-old has also appeared for Schalke, VfL Wolfsburg and Hannover in Germany's top flight, while he has been capped 12 times by Germany and was part of Jurgen Klinsmann's squad which finished third at the 2006 World Cup.

Falcao joins AS Monaco



Radamel Falcao has joined AS Monaco, it has been confirmed.

The Colombian striker, who had been linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid for some time, has agreed a 5-year contract with the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side.

The former FC Porto man is one of a string of signings made by big-spending Monaco since gaining promotion as they look to establish themselves in Ligue 1.

He joins Ricardo Carvalho, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho in also moving to the club as part of their close-season squad overhaul.

Navas open to City move

FC Sevilla winger Jesus Navas is interested in a move to Premier League side Manchester City. The Spain international looks set to leave the club in the close-season, with the Premier League his most likely destination.

Manuel Pellegrini, who is expected to replace Roberto Mancini at Etihad Stadium, is thought to be keen on acquiring the winger's services, and the player admits he is open to a move to Manchester.

City are looking to rebuild their squad after failing to retain the Premier League crown they won in 2012 and losing the FA Cup Final to relegated Wigan Athletic.

Navas has appeared 37 times in La Liga this season, contributing 6 assists as FC Sevilla finished their campaign in ninth position.

Baptistao seals Atletico move

Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Brazilian striker Leonardo Baptistao from Rayo Vallecano, the club announced on Monday.

The Copa del Rey champions have moved quickly to replace the club's top goalscorer last season Radamel Falcao, who departed for big-spending AS Monaco last month.

Baptistao was an integral part of a Vallecano side that secured an eighth place finish in La Liga last season, scoring 7 goals and adding 6 assists in 28 appearances.

Bruno Alves joins Fenerbahce

Bruno Alves has signed for Fenerbahce on a 3-year deal after sealing a €5.5 million move from Zenit Sankt Petersburg.

The Portugal international centre-back spent nearly 3 years with the Russian outfit, helping them to 2 Russian Premier League titles.

However, the 31-year-old, who won 4 Portuguese league crowns during his time with FC Porto, has decided to take on a fresh challenge, joining the Turkish club after they secured qualification for next season's Champions League.

Alves, who has been capped 63 times by Portugal during his career, becomes Fenerbache's second signing of the off-season after promising midfielder Alper Potuk joined from Eskisehirspor.

The veteran defender made 100 appearances in all competitions for Zenit during his spell with the club, scoring 3 goals.

He will now join a Fenerbahce side that posted the second best defensive record in the Turkish Super Lig and enable them to compete in the Champions League after they reached the Europa League semi-finals last term.

Abdellaoue set for Stuttgart

Hannover president Martin Kind is resigned to losing striker Mohammed Abdellaoue to Bundesliga rivals VfB Stuttgart.

The 27-year-old Norway international has already discussed terms with the Swabians, and Kind accepts the player has his heart set on a move.

"Stuttgart may as well start counting on having Abdellaoue", he said.

"We know that he wants to go to Stuttgart and we want to fulfil his wish too."

"He can rely on Fredi Bobic for that."

All the two clubs need to do is agree a fee for the forward, who has scored 29 goals in 80 Bundesliga appearances since joining from Valerenga in 2010.

Villa announce Tonev signing

Aston Villa have announced the signing of winger Aleksandar Tonev from Lech Poznan.

The paperwork which will complete the switch is to be signed next week, but a fee and terms have already been agreed between the 3 parties.

And the 23-year-old, who scored 8 goals in 60 appearances for Lech Poznan, has expressed delight over his impending move to the Premier League.

"I am really happy to be part of Aston Villa and I am really proud to be able to pull the shirt on", he told the club's official website.

Cabaye keen on United move

Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye has admitted he would welcome a move to Premier League champions Manchester United.

The 27-year-old was one of few Newcastle players to stand out during disappointing campaign, and he has since been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

David Moyes is believed to be looking to strengthen his midfield following the retirement of Paul Scholes and a switch to United is something which appeals to the Frenchman.

"Yes of course. I've liked this club for a long time, I like what they do", he told Canal+.

"The boss has left but they have appointed a very good successor and he did some good things with Everton."

Spartak sign Tino Costa

Spartak Moscow have made their first major signing of the summer after securing midfielder Tino Costa from Valencia for a fee thought to be in the region of €7 million.

The 28-year-old, capped twice by Argentina, has signed a long-term deal with the Russian side that finished 4th in the Russian Premier League last term. Costa will join compatriots Nicolas Pareja and Juan Insaurralde at Spartak and arrives with 9 seasons of European football under his belt since starting out in the French lower leagues in 2004.

He broke through to the top flight with Montpellier in 2008, but it was his move 2 years later to Valencia that brought him wider recognition. He made over 100 appearances for the club and was a regular starter in La Liga and Champions League, experience that will benefit Spartak ahead of their 2013/2014 Europa League qualifying campaign.

Carvajal returns to Madrid

Real Madrid have re-signed Daniel Carvajal from Bayer Leverkusen after activating a clause in his contract.

The right-back, currently with Spain at the European U21 Championship in Israel, moved to Leverkusen for €5 million last summer after 9 years in the Madrid ranks, but the deal included an arrangement for the Spanish side to sign him back for predefined sums over the next 3 seasons.

After the 21-year-old's fine displays for a team that finished third in Bundesliga, Real Madrid have paid the requisite €6.5 million to take back the 2011 European U19 Championship winner.

Ivanschitz set for Levante move

Levante have announced that Andreas Ivanschitz will move to the club from Mainz on a free transfer.

The Austrian midfielder has spent the last 4 seasons at Mainz but, after a 13th place finish in Bundesliga last term, he has chosen to leave the club and move to Levante.

Ivanschitz notched 7 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances last season and with his contract due to expire, Levante have moved quickly to secure his services, with the player arriving in Valencia for a medical on Monday.

Levante finished 11th in the Spanish top flight last season and were the second-lowest scorers in the league with just 40 goals, but Ivanschitz is hoping his attacking talents can boost that tally next term.

Malaga complete Antunes signing

Malaga have confirmed the signing of Vitorino Antunes from Pacos Ferreira after a successful loan spell with La Liga side last season.

The full-back arrived in southern Spain in January as a replacement for Nacho Monreal and impressed under Manuel Pellegrini in his 15 appearances.

He became a regular in Malaga's side and played in the Champions League ties with FC Porto and Borussia Dortmund, and also scored his only goal for the club against Real Madrid in the league.

Despite Pacos Ferreira reaching Europa League with their third place finish in the Liga Sagres, Antunes has chosen to move to Spain, even though his new club will not be able to take part in the European competition due to a UEFA ban.

Antunes, who has also briefly played for AS Roma, signed a 4-year contract and told the club's official website that he was delighted to make the move and was looking forward to more success.

Sulejmani signs on at Benfica

Benfica have completed the free transfer of Miralem Sulejmani from Ajax on a 5-year contract.

The 24-year-old forward spent 5 years in Amsterdam but found his opportunities limited last season under coach Frank de Boer.

Sulejmani only appeared 6 times for the club as they won the Eredivisie title last season and rather than extend his stay in Holland he has chosen to sign for Jorge Jesus' side.

Benfica have begun the rebuilding process after their season ended poorly, losing the league title to FC Porto, the Portuguese Cup Final to Vitoria Guimaraes and the Europa League Final to Chelsea.

Sulejmani will provide a different option in attack and they will be hoping he recreates the form that saw Ajax pay Heerenveen €16 million 5 years ago.

He becomes the third Serbia international to join the club since the end of the season, following compatriots Lazar Markovic and Filip Djuricic, who arrived in the Portuguese capital from Partizan Belgrade and Heerenveen respectively.

Fiorentina agree Joaquin transfer

Fiorentina have agreed a deal to sign Malaga winger Joaquin, the club announced on Wednesday.

The Spain international has spent the last 2 seasons at Malaga, after previous spells at Valencia and Real Betis.

The transfer is dependent on Joaquin agreeing a contract with the Serie A club, but the deal is expected to be a formality.

Joaquin boasts a wealth of experience in La Liga and the Champions League and is set to join a team that finished 4th in Serie A last season, narrowly missing out on a place in Europe's premier club competition.

Arsenal considering Melgarejo

Arsenal and Fenerbahce are interested in Lorenzo Melgarejo, according to the Benfica defender's agent.

The 22-year-old Paraguayan is valued at £5 million and could be one of Arsene Wenger's signings in what will be a crucial summer.

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis has said Arsenal have money to spend and they have been linked with Everton's Marouane Fellaini.

Full-back Melgarejo, who featured in the Europa League Final against Chelsea and is also interesting Fenerbahce, is another possible target but Arsenal have not yet made any offer.

Iturra leaves Malaga for Granada

Granada have announced the signing of midfielder Manuel Iturra from Malaga.

The 28-year-old has penned a 3-year deal after completing a medical on Tuesday morning as Granada target a top-half finish in La Liga next season.

Iturra has now parted company after one season at Malaga, having joined from Uniao Leiria in August 2012.

He made 25 appearances in La Liga last season as Malaga finished 6th under Manuel Pellegrini.

Benatia set for AS Roma switch

Udinese defender Mehdi Benatia is set to bolster the AS Roma ranks, revealing he turned down offers from Champions League clubs to move to the capital side.

The 26-year-old, who joined the Serie A outfit in 2010 from Clermont Foot, has been linked to a whole host of clubs previously, including Inter Milano and PSG.

It is reported the Morocco international will cost around €6.5 million, while at least one player from AS Roma will transfer in the opposite direction as part of the deal.