Transferuri Campionate Externe

Shakhtar splash the cash on Fernando

Shakhtar Donetsk have announced the signing of Brazil international midfielder Fernando from Gremio in a deal worth €11 million.

The 21-year-old has signed a 5-year deal with the current Ukrainian Premier League champions, who have a host of Brazilian players in their ranks, including the prolific Luiz Adriano and Douglas Costa.

It seemed last week that Fernando's likely destination was Italy after he revealed "well-established negotiations" had taken place between Gremio and Napoli.

However, Shakhtar have swooped to complete a deal for a player who has spent the whole of his professional career with the same club.

Fernando, who is capped 6 times for his country, has made 140 appearances for Gremio in all competitions, scoring 11 goals in the process.

He will go some way to replacing compatriot Fernandinho in the Ukrainians' midfield, after the 28-year-old sealed a move to Manchester City for a reported £34 million.

While Fernando arrives at Donbass Arena, Shakhtar have also confirmed that striker Pylyp Budkovskiy will spend next season on loan at PFC Sevastopol.

Son completes Leverkusen switch

Bayer Leverkusen have signed Heung-Min Son from SV Hamburg for a fee believed to be in the region of €10 million.

The transfer has opened the door for Andre Schurrle to join Chelsea with the South Korean acting as his replacement.

Son, 20-year-old, scored 12 goals in Bundesliga last season and has signed on a 5-year deal, much to the appreciation of the club's board.

Kadlec set for Fener move

Fenerbahce have agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Czech Republic defender Michal Kadlec.

The left-sided defender has plied his trade at BayArena since joining from Sparta Prague in 2008, going on to make 128 appearances in Bundesliga.

Kaldec, who can also feature in the centre of defence, is now due in Istanbul for talks with Fenerbahce, who finished last season's Super Lig campaign in second, 10 points behind fierce rivals Galatasaray.

Fenerbahce have already been busy bolstering their squad in the off-season, signing Portugal defender Bruno Alves from Zenit Sankt Petersburg and midfielder Alper Potuk from Eskisehirspor for more than €10 million.

Kadlec has 48 caps for the Czech Republic, whom he represented at the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

Southampton seal Lovren deal

Southampton have announced the signing of Olympique Lyon defender Dejan Lovren on a 4-year contract.

The 23-year-old becomes Mauricio Pochettino's first signing of the off-season after helping the French side achieve qualification for next term's Champions League.

Lovren moves to St Mary's for an undisclosed fee, and was quick to express his excitement at joining a club with ambitions to move up the Premier League table following a strong first season back in the top flight.

Lovren made 24 appearances for Lyon in all competitions last campaign, scoring one goal.

He will hope to help shore up a Southampton defence that conceded 60 goals last term, as Pochettino aims to stabilise the club as a permanent fixture in Premier League.

Leitner seals Stuttgart switch

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Moritz Leitner has signed a new contract at the Bundesliga side, and immediately moved on loan to VfB Stuttgart.

The 20-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a deal that ties him to the Champions League finalists until 2017.

And he will spend the next 2 seasons at Stuttgart, in a bid to gain him valuable first-team experience.

Leitner has appeared 72 times for the Westfalenstadion club, and is excited by the prospect of his temporary switch to VfB Stuttgart.

"Stuttgart are a superb club with great tradition", he told their official website.

"I absolutely love the whole set-up here with the fabulous fans."

Lafferty joins Palermo

Former Glasgow Rangers and Burnley striker Kyle Lafferty has signed for Serie A side Palermo after a short spell with FC Sion.

The Northern Ireland international moved to Switzerland from Rangers last year but only managed to score 5 goals for Sion.

However, he did manage to build a successful relationship with former Italian international Gennaro Gattuso, who has since become the new manager of Palermo.

Lafferty is still a key part of the Northern Ireland side and has represented them in 4 out of 5 of their World Cup qualifying matches for the Brazil 2014 tournament.

Rusescu a semnat cu Sevilla

Raul Rusescu, 24 de ani, a semnat pentru următorii 5 ani cu FC Sevilla, anunţă site-ul oficial al clubului spaniol.

Jucătorul este aşteptat luni la Sevilla pentru a efectua vizita medicală. Românul este primul transfer efectuat de andaluzi pentru sezonul 2013/2014. Atacantul a semnat pe 5 sezoane şi va avea o clauză de €40 de milioane.

Hull City sign Figueroa

Hull City have confirmed the signing of defender Maynor Figueroa on a free transfer.

Honduras international Figueroa joins the newly-promoted Premier League club as a free agent after he left Wigan Athletic following a 5-year stay at DW Stadium.

The full-back was a key-part of the Wigan side that got to last season's FA Cup Final - although he did not take part in the 1-0 Final success over Manchester City - but could not prevent the club from suffering relegation to the Championship.

Figueroa was signed by then Wigan manager Steve Bruce in 2008, and the 30-year-old has opted to rejoin his old manager, moving to the KC Stadium on a 2-year deal.

Figueroa made 41 appearances for Wigan last season, scoring 3 goals.

Vitoria pleased with Benfica move

Steven Vitoria has described his move to Benfica on a free transfer as a dream.

The 26-year-old, who helped Estoril to Europa League qualification last season, has signed a 4-year contract with the Portuguese giants.

And the Canada-born centre-back could not hide his delight after sealing the switch upon the expiry of his contract.

Estoril returned to the Portuguese top flight in 2012 and finished fifth in Liga Sagres in the following campaign.

Vitoria began his career with FC Porto but moved to Estoril having failed to make a single first-team appearance.

Galatasaray swoop for Chedjou

Cameroon defender Aurelien Chedjou has arrived in Turkey to complete his move from Lille to Galatasaray.

The centre-back, 28-year-old, was pictured in a Galata shirt after putting the finishing touches on a transfer reported to be worth €8 million.

Chedjou played 34 games for Lille last season, scoring 3 goals. He joined the club in 2007 from Rouen, who at the time were playing in the French third tier.

Alderweireld nears Bayer move

Ajax defender Toby Alderweireld's agent and father has indicated that Bayer Leverkusen are close to signing the Belgium international.

Alderweireld last week revealed that he wished to leave Eredivisie, with Germany or England his most likely destinations.

That news was said to have alerted Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, both of whom have reportedly shown an interest in signing the defender.

However, it now appears that Leverkusen, who finished third in Bundesliga last season, are in pole position to capture Alderweireld.

Bittencourt signs for Hannover

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that midfielder Leonardo Bittencourt has agreed to move to Hannover.

The 19-year-old, who joined Dortmund from Energie Cottbus in June 2012, makes the switch to the AWD Arena after just one season at Westfalenstadion, although there is a buy-back clause included in the deal.

Bittencourt, who struggled to break in to an extremely talented Dortmund team, will now attempt to hone his abilities with Mirko Slomka's side, but could return to the 8-time Bundesliga winners if he impresses with Hannover.

The youngster, who is of Brazilian descent, has already played at representative level for the Germany U19 side and was given his bow by Jurgen Klopp in the 2-1 home defeat to local rivals Schalke back in October.

Bittencourt also appeared in the Champions League, coming on in the 1-0 win over Manchester City in December.

Juventus seal Peluso capture

Juventus have completed the signing of Federico Peluso from Serie A rivals Atalanta for €4.8 million.

The versatile Italian defender spent the second half of last season on loan with the Bianconeri with a view to making the deal a permanent one.

He went on to make 12 appearances, scoring once, in their Serie A title-winning triumph and has now agreed a 4-year deal with the Turin club.

Peluso, who can play at centre-back or left-back and has 3 international caps, will remain at the Juventus Stadium until 30 June 2017.

Lens leaves PSV for Dynamo Kiev

Jeremain Lens has labelled his move from PSV Eindhoven to Dynamo Kiev as a step forward after switching to Ukraine for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old striker has signed a 4-year deal to end his 3-year spell with PSV, for whom he scored 34 Eredivisie goals in 96 games.

The Netherlands international has spent his entire club career in his native country having started out at AZ Alkmaar.

Lens won the Eredivisie with AZ in 2008/2009.

Mertens close to Napoli move

The father of PSV Eindhoven's Dries Mertens has revealed that the winger is close to joining Napoli.

The Belgium international has been strongly linked with a move to the Serie A club following another impressive campaign at Philips Stadion.

The 26-year-old has spent 2 years with the Eredvisie club but now looks set to secure a move to Rafael Benitez's side.

Mertens has made 88 appearances in 2 seasons for PSV, scoring 45 goals.

Juventus complete Asamoah deal



Juventus have secured 100% of Kwadwo Asamoah's rights from Udinese.

The Serie A champions bought 50% of the Ghanaian from Udinese in July 2012 after 4 successful seasons at Stadio Friuli and he made 40 appearances for the Turin club last season.

Asamoah scored 3 goals in all competitions for the club as they finished 9 points clear at the top of the table and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, with manager Antonio Conte quick to secure the player's long-term future at the Juventus Stadium.

A total of €9 million will be paid to Udinese over the next 3 years for the 24-year-old, who has signed a 4-year contract with Juve.

Ambrosini set for Fiorentina

Former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini is close to joining Serie A rivals Fiorentina, according to the player's agent Moreno Roggi.

The 36-year-old is available on a free transfer after his contract at San Siro expired this summer, bringing an end to his 18-year spell with the Italian giants.

It was reported that Premier League side West Ham were also chasing Ambrosini's signature, but Roggi says that Fiorentina are leading the way having been in contact with their sports director.

"I spoke by telephone with Daniele Prade and we took a step forward with Fiorentina", he told Radio Blu Toscana.

Meanwhile, Fiorentina have completed the signing of goalkeeper Gustavo Munua from Levante who joins on a free transfer, as announced by the club on their official website.

He has signed a contract that binds him to the Viola until June 2015.

Fontas signs Celta Vigo deal



Celta Vigo have signed Andreu Fontas from FC Barcelona for €1 million.

The 23-year-old centre-back will hope to play regular football after signing a 3-year deal with the Galician club on Thursday, with FC Barcelona reserving a buy-back option as well as rights on any future transfer.

Fontas was promoted from the Catalan club's B team in 2011, but a serious knee injury the following year hampered his chances of breaking into the first-team and last season he was loaned out to Real Mallorca, with whom he made 9 appearances.

Gladbach agree Raffael deal

Borussia Monchengladbach have agreed a deal to sign Brazilian forward Raffael from Dynamo Kiev.

The two clubs have agreed an undisclosed fee for the 28-year-old, who is expected in Germany for medical tests on Monday.

Should he pass, he will put pen-to-paper on a 4-year contract with the Foals.

Raffael is no stranger to the Bundesliga having played for Hertha Berlin between 2008 and 2012. He also spent the second half of the 2012/2013 season on loan with Gladbach's local rivals Schalke, scoring 2 goals in 16 appearances.

He was also part of the Kiev side which knocked Gladbach out of the Champions League at the play-off stage last August.

Denisov completes move to Anzhi

Igor Denisov has completed a move from Zenit Sankt Petersburg to Anzhi Makhachkala after over a decade with his former club.

The 29-year-old, who is the captain of the Russia national team, is a brilliant addition to Anzhi's side, according to general director Ayvaz Kaziakhmedov.

The midfielder has made 37 appearances for Russia since his debut in 2008.

He won the UEFA Cup with Zenit in the same year, as well as 3 Russia Premier League titles between 2007 and 2012.

However, Denisov's time at Zenit has been fraught in recent times, having led a rebellion because of the wages given to new signing Hulk last year which also reportedly led to training ground bust-ups.

Liverpool close on Luis Alberto

Liverpool are close to finalising a deal for Luis Alberto with the FC Sevilla forward due on Merseyside for a medical on Friday.

The Spain U21 international is set to join the Anfield outfit on a 4-year contract with a fee expected to be in the region of £7 million.

The 20-year-old scored 11 goals while on loan with Barca B in Segunda Division last season, but the Catalans decided not to exercise an option to sign him on a permanent deal.

That opened the door for Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to pursue his interest in Alberto, who is set to become the Reds' third signing of the close season.

Rodgers has already put deals in place to sign Iago Aspas from Celta Vigo for £7.7 million, while Kolo Toure will complete a free transfer from Manchester City when the transfer window officially opens on 1 July.

Paulinho set for Spurs switch

Corinthians have confirmed that negotiations are gathering pace with Tottenham regarding the transfer of Paulinho.

The Brazil international, who is currently impressing in the Confederations Cup, has long been linked with a move to Europe with Tottenham Hotspur among the clubs interested.

Spurs were yet to have firmed up their interest as recently as last week, but reports now suggest that a £17 million bid for the midfielder has been accepted.

Corinthians director of football Edu - a former Arsenal player - has confirmed that there have been further developments and a move to London now looks likely.

The 24-year-old made his Brazil debut in 2011 and was recently on target for his country against England at the Maracana.

Reds agree Mignolet fee

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a fee in excess of £11 million with Sunderland for goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

It is understood the two clubs have finally reached agreement after several weeks of discussion and that the 25-year-old Belgium international will head for Merseyside next week to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.

Mignolet joined the Black Cats from Sint-Truiden 3 summers ago for just £2 million and while he has 2 years remaining on his contract, his departure has become inevitable since Liverpool launched a concerted bid to lure him to Anfield.

Betis agree Verdu deal

Real Betis have agreed a deal to sign Espanyol attacking midfielder Joan Verdu on a 4-year contract.

Verdu was poised to become a free agent after revealing that he would not be extending his stay with Javier Aguirre's side.

The 30-year-old had been linked with Southampton and Olympiacos but has elected to stay in Spain and move to Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Verdu now has the opportunity to play in Europa League, for which Betis qualified after finishing 7th in La Liga last season.

The former FC Barcelona and Deportivo man becomes Betis' 6th signing of the off-season.

The Andalucian outfit had already bolstered their midfield with the captures of Chile international Lorenzo Reyes, Real Madrid's Juanfran and Numancia winger Cedric.

Mbokani agrees to Kiev move

Anderlecht striker Dieumerci Mbokani has agreed a move to Dynamo Kiev after giving up on a dream switch to England.

The Congo international was initially reluctant to contemplate a transfer to Ukraine, as he looked to keep his options open.

West Bromwich Albion were reported to be readying an approach, while speculation suggested that Liverpool might also be keen.

No Premier League clubs were prepared to pay the going rate, though, and Mbokani will not be holding out any longer.

The 27-year-old is looking forward to linking up with a side who have worked hard to get a deal over the line and have shown great faith in his ability.

Juventus confirm Tevez signing

Juventus have confirmed the signing of Argentine forward Carlos Tevez from Manchester City.

The move will see Tevez leave Etihad Stadium, having spent 4 seasons there following his controversial switch from city rivals Manchester United in 2009.

Tevez sparked outrage while at Etihad Stadium when he was alleged to have refused to play during a Champions League fixture at Bayern Munchen in September 2011.

Following the incident, then-City manager Roberto Mancini said the Argentinian would not play for the club again, but returned to help the club win their first Premier League title.

Tevez has notched 13 goals in 62 appearances for his country but has not featured in the side since the 2011 Copa America.

Zenit confirm Arshavin signing

Former Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin has re-joined Zenit Sankt Petersburg after 4 years in Premier League.

The Russia international left Zenit in 2009 to join Arsene Wenger's side but found himself on the fringes of the first-team in the final 2 years of his stay in London, and with no offer of an extension to his contract the forward has moved back to his former club on a permanent basis.

Arshavin spent a brief loan spell back at the club during the 2011/2012 season, making 11 appearances and scoring 3 goals, but no deal could be done with Arsenal at the time to take him back to the Russian Premier League. Now, with no transfer fee involved, Zenit have moved quickly to bring the 32-year-old back on a 2-year contract.

Schalke set to sign Szalai

Schalke have agreed a deal to sign Mainz forward Adam Szalai, sporting director Horst Heldt has announced.

Szalai, who joined Mainz from Real Madrid in 2010 following a successful loan spell at the Coface Arena, is poised to move to boost Schalke's forward line as they aim to try and challenge Bayern Munchen and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga.

Hungary international Szalai will become the club's third signing of the off-season after Felipe Santana moved from Dortmund and Christian Clemens agreed to join from FC Koln.

Szalai made 33 appearances in all competitions for Mainz last season, scoring 15 goals.

Swansea seal Amat deal

Swansea City have announced the signing of centre-back Jordi Amat for £2.5 million from Espanyol on a 4-year contract.

The Premier League club confirmed the deal in a statement on their website on Thursday, with Amat still to undergo a medical before the move can be formally completed.

Amat made his first-team debut for La Liga side aged just 17 before appearing on 26 occasions for them in his first full season as Espanyol secured an eighth place finish.

The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Rayo Vallecano, where he featured 27 times.

Amat becomes manager Michael Laudrup's second signing of the off-season and follows Jose Canas in moving to the League Cup winners.

He is expected to be one of several signings for the Welsh side before the transfer deadline, with Vitesse Arnhem forward Wilfried Bony strongly linked with a move to the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea are looking to add depth to their squad ahead of a Europa League campaign in the coming season.

Norwich agree deal for Toivonen

PSV Eindhoven director Marcel Brands has confirmed the club have reached an agreement for the sale of Ola Toivonen to Norwich City.

Toivonen has been linked with a move to the Carrow Road outfit, who have already boosted their forward line with the signing of Ricky van Wolfswinkel, for much of the off-season.

The Swedish striker has remained coy on the subject, but Brands has now revealed that the two clubs have reached a deal.

Olympiacos announce Weiss signing

Olympiacos have announced the signing of attacking midfielder Vladimir Weiss on a 3-year deal.

The 23-year-old's career to date has included spells in England, Scotland, Spain and Italy, with the Slovakia international now preparing for life in Greece.

Having risen through the ranks at Manchester City, Weiss enjoyed loan stints with Bolton, Espanyol and Glasgow Rangers, winning the Scottish Premier League and Scottish League Cup with the latter.

Pescara signed Weiss from City in August 2012 and he made 22 appearances in Serie A last season as the club finishing bottom, scoring 4 goals in the process.

Weiss has been capped 27 times at senior level for his country and joins an Olympiacos side that won the league at a canter last term with a 15-point cushion over second place PAOK.

De Guzman stays at Swansea

Jonathan de Guzman is staying at Swansea City after agreeing a further season-long loan from Villarreal.

The midfielder has agreed a further year's loan after helping Swansea to a top 10 Premier League finish and Capital One Cup success last term.

De Guzman scored twice in that Wembley win over Bradford, and his performances last season earned him a first international cap for Holland.

Michael Laudrup questioned the club's lack of business earlier in the summer, but news of a deal follows the permanent signings of Jordi Amat and Jose Canas.

Jokic agrees Turkish switch

Bursaspor have struck a deal to bring in Slovenia international Bojan Jokic after his contract with Chievo expired.

The 27-year-old left-back has spent the past 3-and-a-half years with Chievo after arriving in January 2010 from Sochaux, initially on a loan basis before making the move permanent.

He has now headed to Turkey on a free transfer to link up with Bursaspor, where one of his new team-mates will be former England international goalkeeper Scott Carson.

Villarreal sign Pina & Dos Santos

VLC News has claimed that Villarreal have completed the signings of Real Mallorca pair Tomas Pina and Giovani Dos Santos.

The newly-promoted side are said to have wrapped up deals for the midfielder duo, although details on price and contract length are yet to be revealed.

Pina has spent his entire professional career at the Bermellones, playing 77 times for the club.

Dos Santos meanwhile had a mixed career since leaving FC Barcelona in 2008.

4 years at Tottenham Hotspur were an unmitigated failure, spending the majority of the time on loan at the likes of Ipswich Town and Racing Santander.

FC Sevilla sign Vitolo

FC Sevilla have completed the signing of Las Palmas winger Vitolo for a fee of €3 million.

Reports claim that the Rojiblancos have lured the 23-year-old to Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on a 4-year deal.

The young midfielder burst onto the scene this season with the Segunda side and has been a rumoured target for a number of Primera teams.

Vitolo played 39 games last season, scoring 15 goals.

Isco @ Real Madrid

Cassano signs on at Parma

Parma have announced the signing of 30-year-old striker Antonio Cassano from Inter Milano for an undisclosed fee.

The details of Cassano's contract are unknown, but the length is expected to be confirmed on Thursday as part of his first press conference as a Parma player.

Cassano - who lists Bari, AS Roma, Real Madrid, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Inter Milano as his former clubs - scored 10 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions last season.

Cassano's switch is expected to be followed by Ishak Belfodil's move in the opposite direction after the Algerian scored 8 goals in 34 outings last term.

Dortmund agree Aubameyang deal

Saint-Etienne have confirmed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is poised to join Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund have agreed a fee with Saint-Etienne for the Gabon international and has been given permission to undergo a medical with the Champions League finalists.

Saint-Etienne president Roland Romeyer has confirmed the striker is on the verge of a move to Germany with just minor details to be sorted out.

The news is a blow for Newcastle as they had been chasing the highly-rated 24-year-old for several months and was one of their top summer transfer targets.