Transferuri Campionate Externe

Ujah agrees Werder transfer

FC Koln striker Anthony Ujah is to join Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen at the end of the season.

The Nigeria international has signed a 4-year contract at the Weserstadion.

Ujah joined Koln from FSV Mainz in July 2013 following a successful loan spell and has scored 12 goals this season.

Wolfsburg confirm Kruse capture

VfL Wolfsburg have confirmed they will sign Borussia Monchengladbach forward Max Kruse at the end of the campaign.

Kruse has agreed a 4-year deal with Wolfsburg, who are set to compete in the Champions League next season after impressing in the Bundesliga this term.

The 11-cap Germany attacker has scored 13 goals in 2014-2015 for a Gladbach team on the verge of securing Champions League football themselves.

De Gea agrees terms with Real Madrid



De Gea has reportedly agreed personal terms over a move to Real Madrid this summer.

The Manchester United stopper is out of contract at the end of next season and has continually been touted for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, replacing long-term No. 1 Iker Casillas.

And according to Spanish publication Marca, the 24-year-old has reached an agreement on a £4 million-per-year deal.

De Gea's contract in Madrid would then be between 5 and 6 years, although the two clubs are yet to agree a fee.

The 24-year-old has enjoyed another excellent campaign at Old Trafford and it is thought the Red Devils would demand at least £30 million for his services.

De Gea was pictured on a flight to Madrid earlier this week as he took some time off, leading to reports that he was in fact on his way to sign for Los Blancos.

He did report back to training on Wednesday though, ahead of United's clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

Tottenham's Hugo Lloris is said to be United's first choice if De Gea departs, with the Frenchman's future at White Hart Lane also uncertain.

Bayern goalkeeper set to return to Napoli

Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina is reportedly going to leave German giants Bayern Munchen and return to Serie A club Napoli.

The 32-year-old has been the back-up to Manuel Neuer at Bayern this season and he has only played in 3 Bundesliga fixtures in 2014-2015.

According to Fichajes.net, Napoli have made a deal to sign Reina on a permanent basis and the only thing missing now is announcement confirming the goalkeeper's signing.

Although Reina has expressed that he would like to stay in Munchen, he has decided to sign for Napoli because he would be expected to a regular starter for the Partenopei and his contract will last until June 2018.

Reina first played for Napoli in the 2013-2014 season, which was also Rafa Benitez's first season as Partenopei coach. He played 30 Serie A games and 5 Champions League matches for Napoli.

Xavi set to announce departure

FC Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez is set to announce his decision to leave the Camp Nou for Qatari side Al Sadd on Thursday, reports Spanish newspaper AS.

Xavi, who has spent his entire career at FC Barcelona, will hold a press conference on Thursday and reveal his intention to end his lengthy association with the Spanish champions.

The 35-year-old, who needs to win just one more trophy to become Barca's most decorated player, has reportedly penned a 3-year deal with Al Sadd, with the option of a further year, that is worth €10 million per season.

Xavi's imminent departure for the Qatari side has been confirmed by his father Joaquin Hernandez, who told COPE radio station the midfielder had decided "the moment has come to say goodbye".

Dybala joins Serie A winners Juventus

Serie A side Palermo have confirmed that their star striker, Paulo Dybala, will be a Juventus player from next season.

The 21-year-old Argentine has been having a good first Serie A season. He has netted 11 goals and assisted 5 others during this season.

Many of the Premier League clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea were interests in him along with Ligue 1 winners, Paris Saint-Germain.

But Juventus were closing in on a deal to sign him and have been successfull. The team's coach Beppe Iachini confirmed the news when he was left out of the side during their 1-0 over Cagliari. Their win also effectively meant that Cagliari are relegated to Serie B.

Earlier, club president Maurizio Zamparini had claimed that he would accept offers for his "most prized possession" with a price tag of €40 million. And Juventus have agreed to meet the asking price.

Monaco sign Fabinho permanently

AS Monaco have completed the permanent signing of Fabinho, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Stade Louis II from Rio Ave.

The Brazilian - who also made one loan outing for Real Madrid in 2012/2013 - has made 61 Ligue 1 appearances for AS Monaco over the past two campaigns, and has made his stay a permanent one with a contract running until June 2019.

Villa sign Sinclair from City

Aston Villa have completed the permanent signing of winger Scott Sinclair from Manchester City after his successful loan spell.

The 26-year-old midfielder has already spent more than 3 months at Villa Park, having joined on loan in January. He has penned a 4-year deal with the Premier League club.

Sinclair has made 11 appearances since moving to Villa, including three in the FA Cup.

He has scored 3 goals for the FA Cup finalists and has just recovered from injury.

Wimmer heading to Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur have completed a deal to sign FC Koln defender Kevin Wimmer and he will join the club in June, Sky sources understand.

The 22-year-old centre-half will sign a 4-year contract and join the club for fee believed to be in the region of £4 million.

Sky Sports reported in March that Spurs were discussing a potential deal for Wimmer, having wanted him to sign for the club in January but they could not offload either of their currently unwanted central-defenders Younes Kaboul and Vlad Chiriches, who were both made available for loan ahead of the winter window's deadline.

Kaboul and Chiriches are both set for the transfer list again this summer and Wimmer fits the club's renewed policy of signing young, hungry players who are keen to develop under manager Mauricio Pochettino and his staff.

Dortmund complete Castro capture

Borussia Dortmund have begun their preparations for next season with the signing of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Gonzalo Castro.

The 27-year-old has signed a 4-year deal at Signal Iduna Park after opting to leave Leverkusen following 286 Bundesliga appearances, joining a Dortmund side set for a major rebuild after Jurgen Klopp's departure.

Castro helped Leverkusen secure a Champions League qualifying place on Saturday - the final day of the campaign - but has chosen to join Dortmund, who will be playing in Europa League.

His arrival at Dortmund will provide cover in the midfield should Ilkay Gundogan depart as is expected during the close-season.

FC Porto complete Bueno capture

Alberto Bueno has completed his move from Rayo Vallecano to FC Porto after putting pen-to-paper on a 5-year contract at Estadio do Dragao.

Spanish striker Bueno hit 17 La Liga goals for Rayo in 2014-2015 to help the Madrid club to an 11th place finish.

And the 27-year-old's impressive season did not go unnoticed by the Portuguese giants, who announced the deal to sign him on Monday.

Bueno's contract includes a €40 million release clause, and Porto will hope the forward can help them wrestle the Primeira Liga title back from their great rivals Benfica next season.

Bournemouth sign Boruc

Bournemouth have completed the capture of Artur Boruc on a free transfer, after the goalkeeper was released by Southampton.

Boruc spent the majority of last season on loan at Dean Court, helping the club to the Premier League for the first time in their history as they clinched the Championship trophy.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Boruc was one of a handful of players released by Southampton, with confirmation of a permanent switch to Bournemouth following swiftly.

The Poland international has signed a one-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months, and becomes Bournemouth's first signing as they prepare for life in the Premier League.

Norwich make Dorrans switch permanent

Norwich City have confirmed the signing of Graham Dorrans from West Bromwich on a 2-year deal.

Dorrans joined Norwich on loan in February, initially for a month, but stayed to help the club gain promotion back to the Premier League via the play-offs and has now joined permanently for an undisclosed fee.

Bournemouth snap up Federici

Newly promoted Bournemouth have signed their second goalkeeper in as many days with the capture of Adam Federici from Reading on a free transfer.

Having sealed Artur Boruc's services on a permanent basis on Tuesday after a successful loan spell, manager Eddie Howe has turned to Federici to provide competition for the no. 1 spot.

Bournemouth will take their place in the Premier League for the first time next season after lifting the Championship title, and Australia international Federici, who spent 10 years with Reading, is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

Randolph agrees West Ham switch

West Ham have announced the signing of Darren Randolph to provide competition for first-choice goalkeeper Adrian next season.

The 28-year-old will move to Upton Park on 1 July after this his current deal with Championship outfit Birmingham City comes to an end.

Randolph - who made 45 league appearances for Gary Rowett's side last season - is West Ham's first signing since the departure of Sam Allardyce following the last game of the Premier League campaign.

Sevilla snare Krohn-Dehli

FC Sevilla have completed the signing of Michael Krohn-Dehli from Celta Vigo on a 2-year deal with the option for an extra 12 months.

The Denmark international has spent the past 3 seasons at Celta, making 108 appearances.

Sevilla have now moved to make the 31-year-old their first signing ahead of next season when they will play in the UEFA Champions League after beating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the Final of the Europa League, retaining their title in the competition.

Krohn-Delhi emerged from Ajax's famed youth academy, before returning to the Amsterdam club via a spell at Waalwijk.

He struggled to make an impact in Eredivisie, though, and returned to Denmark where he excelled for Brondby before signing for Celta in August 2012.

goal.com counts down the 20 worst signings of 2014-2015 based on player performance, value for money and future potential.



Podolski (loan from Arsenal)
The Nerazzurri thought they'd secured a stellar deal by tying down the World Cup-winner for the second half of the season. They thought wrong - Podolski was a failure from day one at Inter, scoring just one goal and performing terribly.


M'Vila (loan from Rubin Kazan)
It wasn't too long ago that the French midfielder was being linked with an array of top clubs, but his star has waned in the past year or so and he is no longer the hot property he once was. Still, Inter wouldn't have expected to terminate his loan deal prematurely as he was sent back to his Russian parent club with his tail between his legs.


Lucas Silva (€14 million from Cruzeiro)
Real Madrid signed the starlet in January but he made just 4 starts under Carlo Ancelotti, despite a midfield crisis. So little trust did the coach have in Lucas Silva that he even pushed Sergio Ramos into midfield rather than play the Brazilian in big games.


EL Nino Torres (loan from Chelsea)
Many might forget how hopeless the Spain striker was in the first half of the season, but he truly was a disastrous signing for Filippo Inzaghi and scored just one goal before being dumped in January. Torres redeemed himself in 2015 with a loan move to Atletico Madrid, where he has shown glimpses of quality, but that doesn't lessen his atrocious efforts at San Siro.


Adrian Ramos (€9 million from Hertha Berlin)
He might have been excellent at his previous club, but even Ramos himself cannot argue that 2 goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances is anything short of embarrassing. Perhaps he will shine under Jurgen Klopp's replacement - or face an unceremonious exit in the upcoming transfer window.


Ashley Cole (free from Chelsea)
Perhaps fans should have seen Cole flopping from a mile away. The left-back was past his best in 2013-2014 for Chelsea and very much looked like a Premier League reject as he stumbled his way through his first (and probably only) season at Stadio Olimpico. He lost his place to Jose Holebas early in the campaign and never won it back.


Finnbogason (€7.5 million from Heerenveen)
2 goals is Finnbogason's pitiful contribution this La Liga campaign, finishing 7th behind the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi in last year's Golden Shoe standings.


Douglas (€5 million from Sao Paulo)
The Brazilian was barely a first-team player at his previous club so it came as no surprise that he struggled so badly at FC Barcelona. He has made just 5 appearances and never even came close to providing Dani Alves with competition.


Cerci (€18 million from FC Torino)
Cerci was put out of his misery at Atletico when AC Milan agreed the loan deal that took Torres to Vicente Calderon, and the move could not have come soon enough for the Italian. The attacker did not adapt to Diego Simeone's style, nor did he improve much under Inzaghi's wing, and he is expected to join a new side this summer.


Cuadrado (€35 million from Fiorentina)
Mourinho's men might have sauntered to Premier League and League Cup glory this season, but Cuadrado played little part in it. In 12 Premier League matches he has scored no goals and bagged just one assist. January signings notoriously take more time to settle than summer arrivals - an adage Mourinho will be hoping rings true for Cuadrado.


Lovren (€25 million from Southampton)
The Croatian defender was labelled the club's new Jamie Carragher by Reds coach Brendan Rodgers, but based on his performances on Merseyside this season he is more like the new Djimi Traore.


Schurrle (€30 million from Chelsea)
The German attacking midfielder's struggles have gone relatively under the radar, but Wolfsburg must surely regret spending so much money on the World Cup-winner. One goal in 14 Bundesliga games since leaving Chelsea at the end of January has seen him go from nailed-on starter to regular benchwarmer.


Doria (€7 million from Botafogo)
The Brazilian was undoubtedly the biggest transfer flop in Ligue 1 this season. Joining for a chunky sum last summer, Marcelo Bielsa did not field Doria a single time for the first-team before sending him back to South America earlier this year.


Immobile (€20 million from FC Torino)
3 goals in 24 appearances for a striker who was supposed to be the replacement for Robert Lewandowski is simply not good enough. The last Bundesliga game he started was the 1-0 defeat to FC Augsburg at the start of February which resulted in them sliding to the bottom of the table. He has been restricted to short cameos ever since by a clearly unimpressed Jurgen Klopp.


Balotelli (€20 million from AC Milan)
It could not have been easy attempting to fill Luis Suarez's shoes and the Italy international emphatically failed to replace the Uruguayan. He scored just one Premier League goal all season and only 4 in all competitions in a desperately disappointing individual and collective campaign.


Falcao (loan from AS Monaco)
There was jubilation from United fans when they discovered they were signing Falcao on deadline day 10 months ago. Little did they know he would go on to score just 4 times in 26 league games. The Red Devils spent over €20 million in wages and loan fee combined for his one-year deal.


Vermaelen (€20 million from Arsenal)
Through no particular fault of his own, the Belgian defender has become a classic transfer disaster. In an effort to bolster their squad before FIFA's transfer ban kicked in, Barca hastily signed Vermalen from the Gunners despite concerns over his fitness. He only made his debut for the Catalans in the final La Liga game of 2014-2015.


Iturbe (€30 million from Hellas Verona)
Barring a huge turnaround in future seasons, Juan Manuel Iturbe will go down as one of the most expensive flops in AS Roma history. With 2 goals and 2 assists in 26 appearances for Rudi Garcia's men, Iturbe played an active role in Roma finishing so far behind Juventus in Serie A.


Mangala (€40 million from FC Porto)
Supposed to be Vincent Kompany's new centre-back partner, the Frenchman has endured a debut Premier League season to forget. Youth is on the 24-year-old's side questions remain over whether the Etihad Stadium hierarchy will have faith in Mangala after such an error-prone campaign where he failed to oust the much-maligned Martin Demichelis.


Di Maria (€75 million from Real Madrid)
The Argentine was expected to be the man to take Manchester United back to the top after a brilliant Champions League-winning season with Real Madrid in 2013-2014. However, despite a decent first few matches, the midfielder struggled horribly and never looked settled at Old Trafford. An escape to PSG is now being widely reported.

Morel swaps Marseille for Lyon

Jeremy Morel has signed a 3-year contract with Olympique Lyon after deciding to leave Ligue 1 rivals Olympique Marseille.

Full-back Morel moved to Stade Velodrome in June 2011, having spent 9 years with fellow French side Lorient.

After 4 seasons with Marseille, Morel has opted for a new challenge with Hubert Fournier's side - who finished second in Ligue 1 this season and will return to the UEFA Champions League next term.

Watford sign Austria defender Prodl

Watford have continued their recruitment ahead of a return to the Premier League with the signing of defender Sebastian Prodl.

The Austria centre-back has signed a 5-year-deal at Vicarage Road after his 7-season spell with Werder Bremen came to an end.

Prodl follows former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes in moving to Watford following their promotion from the Championship.

Prodl played in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League in his time at Weserstadion.

The ex-Sturm Graz man also won the DFB Pokal with Werder and made 24 appearances last season, scoring 3 goals as Viktor Skrypnyk's men finished 10th in Bundesliga.

Celtic swoop for Boyata

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic have completed the signing of Manchester City defender Dedryck Boyata on a 4-year deal.

The Belgium international joined City in 2006, but the 24-year-old has struggled to break into the first-team at Etihad Stadium, making just 36 appearances.

The centre-back, who has enjoyed loan spells at Bolton Wanderers and FC Twente, signed a new 2-year contract in May 2014, but has now opted for a fresh challenge at Celtic Park.

goal.com counts down the best transfers from the 2014-2015 season based on the player's overall talent and performances, transfer value and his future potential.



Vietto (€5.5 million)
The 21-year-old attacker is showing promising signs of what is to come as he continues his development. His 12 goals have been crucial for the Yellow Submarine who have secured Europa League qualification with a 6th place finish. Vietto is quick, skilful and a smooth finisher and Villarreal will make a huge profit from him in the next few years.


Luuk de Jong (€5.5 million)
All talk in Eredivisie and at PSV this season has of course been about Memphis Depay. However, Luuk de Jong has been just as, if not even more, important to the team this term with his goals, assists, movement and heading ability. Second top goalscorer and joint third in the assist ranking, he has been a completely different player to the one who flopped at Borussia Monchengladbach and Newcastle as he helped guide PSV to the league title.


David Luiz (€50 million)
The football world went mad the day it was announced that Paris Saint-Germain had coughed up €50 million for erratic and unpredictable defender David Luiz. While a ridiculous sum, the Brazilian centre-back has had a good season for the Ligue 1 champions. The 28-year-old has proved to be a fine addition to the backline for Laurent Blanc's men.


Salah (loan from Chelsea)
The Egypt international has not been a totally consistent performer for the Viola since his move from Chelsea. However, he has made a massive impact on the team in the few months he has been there. He helped pick up valuable points against Inter, FC Torino, Sassuolo and Sampdoria with his goals in the league. And who could forget that blistering performance in the Coppa Italia against Juventus ?


De Vrij (€8.5 million)
A strong and athletic defender, Stefan de Vrij was a crucial part of Ronald Koeman's Feyenoord team and the impressive Holland side which reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. The 23-year-old has been in fine form for a Lazio team looking to book a place in the Champions League next season. De Vrij has been a mainstay in the side and impressed on several occasions. Only two players in the entire league have made more interceptions than he has.


Krychowiak (€4.5 million)
The 25-year-old repaid his transfer fee and more on Wednesday when he scored the crucial equalising goal which set Sevilla on their way to retain their Europa League crown. However, the midfielder had already shown his star quality and then some throughout the season. A consistent performer in the midfield for Unai Emery's men, he has been absolutely pivotal in another superb campaign for the La Liga club.


Claudio Bravo (€12 million)
Despite Chile's second round exit, Claudio Bravo was seen as one of the star goalkeepers of the 2014 World Cup. He had already impressed at Real Sociedad, so when FC Barcelona dipped into the market for competition for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, it seemed like the ideal transfer considering his low price. The 32-year-old has been the undisputed No. 1 for Barca in La Liga and it took 9 games for the shot-stopper to concede a goal in the league. He has gone on to keep an incredible 23 clean sheets.


Brahimi (€6.5 million)
The 25-year-old midfielder has been sublime for the Portuguese side since he joined from Granada last summer. The Algeria international is strong, quick, defensively sound and dangerous in attack. FC Porto are excellent at bringing in and selling players for a profit, but he is one player they will be hoping to hold on to for some time.


Cambiasso (free from Inter Milano)
A European champion with Inter just 5 years ago, Esteban Cambiasso surprised many when he joined Leicester City this summer, but it turned out to be a master stroke for the club and a smart move for him too. He was by some distance the Foxes' player of the season as they survived a relegation fight in the Premier League, with the Argentine totally dominating the midfield in many games. He may only have had one season at the club, but he must already be considered a legend.


Rakitic (€20 million)
After 3 superb seasons at FC Sevilla which culminated in the Europa League title, Ivan Rakitic earned his move to FC Barcelona last year. A sound creator and smooth passer of the ball, the midfielder has been an excellent purchase for the newly crowned La Liga champions. With Xavi on his way out this summer, Rakitic will be even more important to Barca next season.


Alexis Sanchez (€40 million)
Arsenal beat Liverpool and Juventus to the signature of the Chilean star and he has been a huge hit in North London. With 24 goals in all competition, the pacy attacker has carried the Gunners through large chunks of the season and the team will be built around him in the coming seasons.


Fabregas (€33 million)
The Chelsea midfielder may have struggled to find consistency in the second half of the season, but his creativity has been incredible overall. So decisive has Fabregas been at times this year that he topped the assist charts with 18, while second placed Santi Cazorla set up 11 goals. The midfielder is a crucial part of Jose Mourinho's side and will be again next year.


Griezmann (€30 million)
The France international took some time to settle in at Atletico Madrid following his transfer from Real Sociedad. However, he has been one of the key men in a decent season for Diego Simeone's side. The attacker finished joint third with Neymar in the league goalscoring charts with 22 goals, despite needing 10 games to open his account with the capital club. Now that he is feeling right at home at Vicente Calderon, Simeone will be expecting even more from the 24-year-old next season.


Diego Costa (€40 million)
The striker enjoyed the perfect start to life at Chelsea, scoring 11 goals in his first 10 Premier League appearance as the Blues opened the campaign with a remarkable unbeaten run. The Brazil-born Spain international was simply unstoppable and looked certain to go on and finish the season as the league's top scorer. While Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane finished above him in that table, his record of 20 goals in 26 games was crucial for Chelsea in their title-winning campaign. Jose Mourinho will be hoping the striker can beat his strike rate next season and help them retain the crown.


Evra (€1.5 million)
The veteran was written off by many experts after being discarded by Manchester United but he has been arguably the best left-back in Europe this season. He has been a vital figure as Juventus won the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and reached the Champions League Final.


Kroos (€30 million)
After a glorious World Cup campaign in which he played every minute, Toni Kroos earned a €30 million move from Bayern Munchen to Real Madrid. The midfielder has had a wonderful personal campaign with Los Blancos and will be proud of his efforts despite failing to pick up any silverware other than the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA SuperCup. With Madrid looking to recover from a poor season by reclaiming some major titles next term, Kroos will be a crucial part of their star-studded midfield.


Lewandowski (free from Borussia Dortmund)
Bayern struck gold when they signed Robert Lewandowski for free from Borussia Dortmund. The Poland international finished second only to Alex Meier in the Bundesliga scoring charts in his first campaign with Pep Guardiola's side and will be confident of improving on that next term. The attacker also enjoyed a solid Champions League campaign, scoring 6 in 12 games in Europe's premier competition as Bayern crashed out in the semi-finals.


James Rodriguez (€80 million)
With 13 goals and 13 assists in 29 games, James Rodriguez's first season in La Liga has proven to be very impressive. The 23-year-old enjoyed an excellent World Cup campaign with Colombia which inspired Real Madrid to sign him from AS Monaco for a massive €80 million. However, his output at the moment is so promising that the fee paid for him will be seen as an irrelevance if he continues to develop this way. Linking up fantastically with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, his importance to Los Blancos will be even greater in the coming years.


Morata (€20 million)
The 22-year-old has said on numerous occasions that he is happy with his choice to ditch Real Madrid and join Juventus and it is easy to understand why. Morata has been devastating in the Champions League knockouts to take Juventus to the Final, scoring home and away against his former side in the semi-finals. He has formed a fearsome partnership with Carlos Tevez as the Bianconeri clinched another Scudetto and a first Coppa Italia in 20 years. Looks destined for a great career.


Suarez (€81 million)
The Uruguayan attacker may have had a slow start to life at Camp Nou after serving his biting ban, but he has quickly become an integral part of the Barca team. After his €81 million move from Liverpool, Suarez has been a star alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar in the Blaugrana's popular MSN trio. The 28-year-old has helped fire his team to league glory with 16 goals and 14 assists in 27 appearances in La Liga. With Barca looking to complete an incredible European and domestic Treble, Suarez has certainly proved to be an integral and smart purchase.

Essien joins Panathinaikos

Ghana international midfielder Michael Essien has joined Panathinaikos, the Greek giants announced on Tuesday.

Essien moves to the club as a free agent, signing a 2-year deal after his AC Milan contract expired.

The 32-year-old spent 18 months with Milan, making 22 appearances in all competitions.

Essien's signing comes after Panathinaikos secured a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot via a 2-0 win over PAOK on Sunday, with 2 matches remaining in the Super League play-offs.

Leicester sign Fuchs on free transfer

Christian Fuchs has joined Premier League side Leicester City on a free transfer, agreeing a 3-year contract.

The Austria international left-back of more than 60 caps spent 4 years at Schalke before his deal expired, and he will officially join Leicester on 1 July.

Fuchs becomes the first signing of the transfer window for Leicester, who avoided relegation last season with a stunning run of 7 wins from their last 9 matches.

Watford snap up Lithuania goalkeeper Arlauskis

Watford have announced the signing of Lithuania international goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis on a free transfer.

The 27-year-old was part of the side that won the Romanian title with Steaua Bucharest this season, but has opted for a switch to Vicarage Road to join the Premier League newcomers.

Arlauskis will be looking to press first-choice goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes for the number 1 shirt at Watford, who also have Jonathan Bond and Rene Gilmartin in their ranks.

Should he play for Watford in the top flight, Arlauskis would become just the second Lithuanian to feature in Premier League, after Arsenal's Tomas Danilevicius.

Watford have already signed former Werder Bremen man Sebastian Prodl.

Liverpool announce Milner signing

Liverpool have announced the signing of Manchester City midfielder James Milner on a free transfer, subject to a medical.

The 29-year-old's contract at Etihad Stadium is due to expire at the end of this month and, while manager Manuel Pellegrini had expressed a desire to see Milner remain, the former Newcastle and Aston Villa man has opted to make his exit.

Milner arrived at City from Villa Park in 2010, going on to win 2 Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Community Shield.

However, throughout his time in Manchester, the ex-Leeds United trainee was never assured of a place in City's first XI and he will likely view the switch to Anfield as an opportunity to establish himself as a regular starter.

Milner becomes Liverpool's first major close-season signing as they seek to improve on a disappointing 2014-2015 campaign in which they finished 6th in Premier League.