Confirmed Transfers (2017/18)

[King Binny]

Ciaran Donnelly - Fleetwood (Head of Academy)

[article]Fleetwood Town can confirm Ciaran Donnelly has been appointed as the new Head of Academy.

Donnelly joins the club after a hugely successful spell as Academy Manager at neighbours Blackpool, and takes over the great work done by Stuart Murdoch.

The 33 year-old – who played for Town back in 2007 – will be responsible for the management and direction of the club’s youth development program.

Chairman, Andy Pilley said: "We are absolutely delighted to have Ciaran on board at Fleetwood Town.

"He's someone we've known for a long time following his brief spell here as a player and have more recently monitored the excellent job he's done at Blackpool.

"Last season he managed the league and cup double with his under 18s side and we believe we have appointed one of the top young prospects around to run our academy.

"Ciaran will continue the excellent work done by Stuart Murdoch and the staff in our academy and help drive it forward to the next level.

"We are a dynamic and forward thinking football club and we are confident Ciaran is exactly the type of person and character for our club.

"The academy is something I'm incredibly proud of and we were delighted to see the first group of players from it sign professional terms in recent weeks.

"Under Ciaran's leadership we look forward to an even more exciting future."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Medhi Benatia - Juventus (reportedly €17 million)

[article]Juventus are pleased to announce that they have exercised the option to make Medhi Benatia’s initial season-long loan from Bayern Munich permanent.

The 30-year-old defender has signed a contract that ties him to the Bianconeri until 30 June 2020.

Composure, strength and positional sense. Benatia has brought all of the above to the Bianconeri party during his debut campaign at the club.

Upon joining from Bayern last summer, the defender hit the ground running with two goals in the pre-season tour of Melbourne and Hong Kong, as he found the net in wins over Tottenham Hotspur and South China.

He would save his best goal for one of the biggest league games this term, as he both started and finished off a fine, flowing move to bury past Gianluigi Donnarumma for the opener in March’s crucial victory over Milan.

That strike ensured the centre-back has now scored in all seven seasons in which he’s played in Europe’s top divisions: Serie A (with Udinese, Roma and Juventus) and the German Bundesliga (with Bayern Munich).

It’s clear that Benatia boasts superb ball-playing ability: his 91.4 per cent of successful passes is the best of any member of the Bianconeri backline this term.

Meanwhile, he has also excelled in his more traditional defensive tasks, making 55 clearances and 90 recoveries in 18 appearances across all competitions.

The Morocco captain has played his part in Juve’s Champions League campaign, featuring in four victories and one draw en route to Cardiff.

Benatia’s first, impressive chapter in black and white is coming to a close, but Bianconeri fans can now look forward to at least another three years together.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Marcelino - Valencia (Head Coach)

[article]Valencia CF and Marcelino García Toral have reached a full agreement for him to be first team head coach for a minimum period of two seasons. His official presentation will be made following the final LaLiga game and until then, the parties will not make any public statements.[/article]

Harry Redknapp - Birmingham City (Manager)

[article]Redknapp has signed a one-year deal.

Just days after memorably guiding Blues to Sky Bet Championship safety, Redknapp has now committed again to the Club.

Initially he came in on a short-term agreement as Gianfranco Zola's replacement for the final three matches of the season with Blues in a precarious position.

But two wins from the final two games, culminating in that tense afternoon at Bristol City on Sunday, secured Blues a 19th place finish in the table.

Redknapp held talks with the Club's owners and Board of Directors this week and finalised the details of his contract last night.

The composition of Redknapp's backroom team will be revealed in due course via bcfc.com[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Mahamadou Dembélé - Red Bull Salzburg (compensation fee)


The PSG kid who was tracked by lots of clubs across Europe.
Red Bull Salzburg snapping up another young talent. Will probably move to Leipzig in another few years time.

 

[rurikbird]

Mahamadou Dembélé - Red Bull Salzburg (compensation fee)


The PSG kid who was tracked by lots of clubs across Europe.
Red Bull Salzburg snapping up another young talent. Will probably move to Leipzig in another few years time.

He might get the honor of playing alongside our own Andre Wisdom.

 

[King Binny]

Pascal Gross - Brighton (undisclosed fee)

[article]Brighton & Hove Albion are set to make their first new signing of the close season, bringing in German midfielder Pascal Gross from FC Ingolstadt 04.

The 25-year-old has agreed a four-year contract with Albion, and will officially join when the transfer window opens on 10th June for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.

He has made close to 200 appearances in the top two tiers of the Bundesliga; Gross is a real favourite among the Ingolstadt fans, and has been their standout player over the past two seasons.

Manager Chris Hughton said, "We are delighted that Pascal has opted to sign for us, amid interest from a number of clubs from the Premier League and across Europe, and I am pleased to welcome him to the club.

"He offers something different to our existing midfielders, as an attacking midfielder in a more advanced position, operating behind the forward line; he will give us a different and new option going into the new season."

Born in Mannheim, Gross began his career with Hoffenheim in 2008, before switching to Karlsruhe in 2011; he moved to Ingolstadt in 2012.

He will play his farewell game for Ingolstadt this weekend, when they entertain Schalke in their final match of the season on Saturday. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Matthew Leckie - Hertha Berlin (reportedly €3 million)

[article]Hertha BSC have made their first signing of the closed season by acquiring the services of Mathew Leckie from relegated Bundesliga side FC Ingolstadt. The 26-year-old signed a contract with Hertha on Monday after successfully passing a medical. Neither club has released any further details about the transfer.

Michael Preetz commented on the signing: “He’s 26 and a seasoned Bundesliga player. With his experience he can help us cope with the demands of the coming season,” said the sporting director.

Leckie gives Pál Dárdai another attacking option: The forward, who has appeared 71 times in the top flight of German football, is a versatile player and played in 30 games last season for FC Ingolstadt on both the left and right wings, as well as being deployed through the middle as a central striker. The Australia international has made 39 appearances for his country, and was an important squad member in the 2014 World Cup, and when they won the 2015 Asia Cup. He is due to participate in the Confederation Cup in Russia this summer, where he’ll face Germany and his new teammate Marvin Plattenhardt in Group B.

“Mathew Leckie is a versatile player and has shown that he has the pace to bomb up and down the flanks, and that’ll benefit us a lot when it comes to attacking,” said manager Pál Dárdai. Leckie has played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and FSV Frankfurt as well as Ingolstadt since making the move from his homeland to Europe in 2011. [/article]

 

[Oncy]

Theres so many Dembele's I cant fucking keep up. Its the new Diarra.

 

[King Binny]

Matty Lund - Burton Albion (free transfer)

[article]MIDFIELDER Matty Lund will join Burton Albion on a two-year deal after his contract expires at Rochdale at the end of June.

The 26-year-old becomes Nigel Clough’s first new signing of the summer as the Brewers look forward to another season in the Sky Bet Championship.

The former Stoke City trainee had stints at Hereford, Oldham, Bristol Rovers and Southend United before he joined Rochdale in June 2013.

Lund scored ten goals in 37 games for Rochdale last season, including an impressive hat-trick against Northampton to earn his side a 3-2 victory. He made a total of 149 appearances in a Rochdale shirt, scoring 22 goals.

The Northern Ireland international said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get started. It’s great to get it done early and give me some time to concentrate on the start of the season.

“Playing in the Championship has been an aim of mine for a couple of seasons and it’s an opportunity for me to show what I can do at a higher level and I want to show Burton, my family and friends that I can make that step up.”

Manager Nigel Clough said: “He’s a goal-scoring midfielder and there aren’t many of them about. Not many midfielders get double figures of goals these days, He complements what we already have in that department and should fit in well.

“He has good experience in League One and is an international as well. He’s very keen to make the step up to the Championship to further his international aspirations. If he gets regular games at this level that will help him establish himself with Northern Ireland so this is a good opportunity for him. And once again it’s about his character as well as his ability. He will fit into the dressing room we already have here.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Harry Kewell - Crawley (Head Coach)

[article]Crawley Town are delighted to announce the appointment of Harry Kewell as our new Head Coach.

Harry, 38, will be assisted by Warren Feeney, who is taking up the role as Assistant Coach.

During a glittering playing career in England and abroad, Sydney-born Harry played in two Champions League finals for Liverpool and two World Cup finals for Australia.

He came to England in 1995 and within a year was making his first-team debut for Leeds United in the Premier League.

In 2000, Kewell was named PFA Young Player of the Year and he had three more seasons at Elland Road before joining Liverpool, the team he supported as a boy, in 2003.

Two years later he became the first Australian to play in the Champions League final and in 2006 he was an FA Cup winner with Liverpool.

In 2007, he played in his second Champions League final and when he left Anfield in 2008 Harry had played 380 League and Cup games in England, scoring 79 goals.

He signed for Turkish club Galatasaray in 2008 and had three seasons with them, scoring 34 goals in 91 appearances.

In August 2011, he signed for Melbourne Victory and also played for Melbourne Heat in the Australian League, either side of a short spell in the Qatar Stars League with Al Gharafa.

Harry became Australia’s youngest international when he made his debut aged 17 against Chile in 1996. He played in the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals, helping the Socceroos reach the second round in 2006 after scoring in a 2-2 draw against Croatia. He was sent off in the 2010 finals in South Africa against Ghana.

He played 56 times for his country, scoring 17 goals.

When he announced his retirement in June 2014 Harry had played 515 professional games and scored 124 goals as either a winger or striker.

He is currently working on his UEFA Pro License coaching qualification and was in charge of the under-23s at Watford from June 2015 before leaving the club by mutual consent earlier this year. During his time at Vicarage Road, three of the under-23s made their first team debuts.

Director of Football Selim Gaygusuz said: "During his interview Harry showed us great passion - that's need to make this team move onwards."[/article]

Juan Cuadrado - Juventus (€20 million)

[article]Juventus announces that, following the meeting of the conditions provided by the contract, its obligation to definitively acquire the registration rights of Juan Cuadrado from Chelsea became due.

The permanent transfer fee of € 20 million is to be paid in three annual instalments starting from the 2017/2018 financial year.

The 28-year-old forward has signed a contract that ties him to the Bianconeri until 30 June 2020.

Pace, personality and perseverance. Cuadrado has shown all of these attributes, and more, ever since joining Juventus two summers ago.

A seemingly endless source of energy, the Colombia international has built a reputation as a game-changer, his unique skillset bringing something completely different to the park that has often benefitted the Bianconeri over his 83 appearances with the club.

Best known for his trickery and ability to dribble past his marker down the flank, Juan is also an extremely sharp shooter and has netted a number of wonder strikes, not least against Lyon in October and Inter in February – both winning goals in games of huge significance for Juve’s season in the Champions League and Serie A.

Under Massimiliano Allegri’s guidance, Cuadrado has combined his innate flair and flamboyance with tactical discipline. Attentive at tracking back, but still spectacular going forwards, he has developed into one of the world’s best wide players and Juventus fans can look forward to watching him grace the black and white stripes for at least another three seasons. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Marcelo Bielsa - Lille (Head Coach)

Could be an interesting Club to look out for.
Taken over by Gerard Lopez earlier this year, former Barca Marketing Director Marc Ingla as General Manager, ex Monaco Technical Director Luis Campos as Sporting Director

 

[King Binny]

Vincius Junior - Real Madrid (reportedly €45 million)

16 yr old. Staying with Flamengo until July 2019

 

[rurikbird]

Marcelo Bielsa - Lille (Head Coach)

Could be an interesting Club to look out for.
Taken over by Gerard Lopez earlier this year, former Barca Marketing Director Marc Ingla as General Manager, ex Monaco Technical Director Luis Campos as Sporting Director

Will be interesting indeed, unless he resigns on the first day of the new season, as has happened before.

 

[Oncy]

Vincius Junior - Real Madrid (reportedly €45 million)

16 yr old. Staying with Flamengo until July 2019

45 fucking million Euro for a 16 year old kid!? What the actual FUCK!!!

 

[rurikbird]

45 fucking million Euro for a 16 year old kid!? What the actual FUCK!!!

Yeah, and my first thought was, what's it going to be like in 10 years? Manchester United signs a talented embryo for 1 billion? "By the time he fertilizes the egg, is carried to term and grows into a powerful box-to-box midfielder, it's going to seem like a bargain, pundits say."

 

[Oncy]

Paying £20m for A vial of Messi' semen

 

[Fabio]

Paying £20m for A vial of Messi' semen

10 mil just to give him a handy and scoop up the aftermath

 

[King Binny]

Christian Atsu - Newcastle (reportedly £6.2 milion)

[article]Newcastle United can confirm the permanent signing of Christian Atsu from Chelsea.

The 25-year-old Ghana international spent last season on loan at St. James' Park, making 32 league appearances and scoring five goals as Rafa Benítez's side lifted the Sky Bet Championship title.

The Magpies have now exercised an option to sign him for an undisclosed fee and the winger has penned a four-year deal.

The transfer is subject to Atsu successfully reapplying for a work permit.

Manager Benítez said: "We are happy to sign a good player.

"He's shown us that he's a good professional and someone who is very keen to learn and improve.

"Christian has been a key part of our promotion campaign and he wants to help us to build something for the future."[/article]

Diego Lopez - Espanyol

[article]Espanyol have completed a permanent deal for goalkeeper Diego Lopez (pictured left) from Italian side Milan, the Catalan club have confirmed.

The 35-year-old moved to the RCDE Stadium on an initial season-long loan deal last summer and quickly establishing himself as the club’s number one, making 35 La Liga appearances.

“Diego Lopez and RCD Espanyol have reached an agreement to definitely transfer the Galician to the first team,” read an Espanyol statement.

“This confirms the permanent transfer of Diego Lopez from AC Milan. The goalkeeper has signed with Espanyol until June 30, 2020 and will have a buyout clause of €50m.”

Lopez left the Rossoneri initially due to losing his place in the side to teenage sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma.[/article]

Pablo Piatti - Espanyol (€1.5 million)

[article]Espanyol have completed the permanent signing of forward Pablo Piatti for €1.5m from Valencia following a successful loan spell.

The Argentine netted 10 goals and provided 10 assists in 30 appearances for Los Periquitos in a successful season for the Catalans, who finished in the top half of La Liga.

The 28-year-old has now penned a three-year deal at the RCDE Stadium with AS reporting a release clause of €30m release clause.

Espanyol released a press release on Wednesday, stating: “Piatti has undoubtedly been one of the most outstanding footballers in our campaign. He has netted ten goals and other assists, and has been one of our most decisive players.

"In addition, the footballer has contributed a lot of defensive work and is one of the players that has run the most kilometers in this campaign.”

Meanwhile, a Valencia statement read: “After executing the contract clauses while on loan, the player Pablo Piatti completes the move to RCD Espanyol and ends his time at the club.

“Valencia CF wish him the best of luck in the next stage of his professional career.”

The news of the deal follows on from Espanyol’s permanent deal for goalkeeper Diego Lopez, who had initially joined the club from Milan last summer on loan.[/article]

 

[HC]

45 fucking million Euro for a 16 year old kid!? What the actual FUCK!!!

Hes not just 16.

Hes a 16 year old with 0 minutes of first team football.

Bargain

 

[King Binny]

Hes not just 16.

Hes a 16 year old with 0 minutes of first team football.

Bargain

17 mins actually

 

[HC]

17 mins actually

It was 0 mins when the transfer was agreed two weeks ago

 

[Oncy]

Unreal MADNESS doe!

 

[King Binny]

Youri Tielemans‏ - Monaco (reportedly €25 million)

[article]AS Monaco are delighted to announce the signing of Youri Tielemans on a five-year contract that will tie him to the club until 2022.

The Anderlecht-trained midfielder made 37 appearances for the Belgian side in the Jupiler League this season (13 goals, 13 assists) and played a key role in their outstanding European campaign (which saw them defeated in the quarter-finals by Manchester United).

Despite having only just turned 20 years old (on 7 May), Tielemans has already made 139 appearances in the JL and has been called up to the Belgium squad three times. The precocious talent is the third youngest player in history to start a Champions League game (at 16 years, 4 months and 25 days), and has played 36 times in European competitions.

YOURI TIELEMANS
"AS Monaco are a club with an ambitious project and a big profile in Europe, and rely on young players.

On international duty, Yannick Carrasco had a lot of good things to say to me about the club.

All of these considerations encouraged me to choose AS Monaco. I'm very happy to be here. Now I'll be doing everything I can to carry on my development here and repay the club's faith in me."

VADIM VASILYEV
"We are proud to welcome Youri Tielemans to AS Monaco. Youri has won the Belgian league title, been named player of the season, and made it to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. He was on the radar of some very big clubs, but it's at AS Monaco that he has chosen to continue his development. We are delighted with his decision, as it shows that our project is more attractive than ever, and is recognition of a certain savoir-faire.

His arrival is fully in line with our strategy of signing talented young players. That strategy, which saw us win the French title a few days ago and lifted us into the top four clubs in Europe, is bearing fruit.

We will continue working to build a squad with big talents every year. Youri coming in now, with the season only just over, reflects our strong commitment to building an ambitious and very competitive team for next season." [/article]

 

[Oncy]

Next season he will be touted for £60m

 

[King Binny]

Replacement for Fabinho/Bakayoko perhaps?

 

[King Binny]

Pablo Zabaleta - West Ham (free transfer)

[article]
West Ham United are proud and delighted to announce Pablo Zabaleta as the Club’s first signing of the summer.

The highly-decorated and hugely-experienced Argentina international full-back will join the Hammers on a two-year deal on 1 July, when his contract with Manchester City expires.

A fine defender and respected leader, Zabaleta won two Premier League titles and four other trophies during nine outstanding seasons with the Citizens.

Now, he is hoping to bring his wide-ranging and undoubted qualities to London Stadium, where is looking forward to starting a new and successful chapter in his storied career in Claret and Blue.

“This is an absolute pleasure to be part of West Ham United Football Club,” Zabaleta told West Ham TV, while revealing he turned down offers from leading clubs in Italy, Spain and England to join the Hammers. “I hope I can give you good moments. Of course, I come to the Club to enjoy myself and hopefully we can have a very successful time.”

“Sometimes a new challenge is all you need as a person and as a player. I thought my time at City was done. It’s been a fantastic nine years, absolutely brilliant.

“Manchester City gave me the opportunity to come to this wonderful league, the Premier League, something I’ve been enjoying a lot as a player and of course for me it was probably the right time to move on.

“Also, as a player, I thought I wanted to keep playing in the Premier League. For me, after being in this country for so long, this is a new challenge for me in the Premier League and I’m ready for it and looking forward to it.”

Born in the town of Arrecifes, 110 miles north west of Buenos Aires, Pablo Zabaleta joined the capital city’s San Lorenzo club at the age of 12.

There, he racked up nearly 100 appearances by the age of 20, earning a move to the relative riches of Spanish football and Barcelona-based Espanyol in 2005.

A year later, Zabaleta lifted the Copa del Rey, and two further successful seasons in La Liga caught the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs. In August 2008, he chose to move to Manchester City over Italian giants Juventus, citing the lure of the Premier League as his major motivation.

A day later, City were taken over by new Abu Dhabi-based owners and the South American quickly established himself as a key figure in Mark Hughes’ new-look side.

The versatile Zabaleta retained his starting place under Roberto Mancini, scoring the opening goal in the vital 3-2 final-day win over Queens Park Rangers that brought a first Premier League title to the club in 2012.

Two years later, he missed just three Premier League matches as City were crowned champions for a second time. He leaves the Etihad Stadium having made 332 appearances and scored eleven goals for the Citizens.

At international level, Zabaleta captained Argentina to FIFA World Youth Championship glory in 2005, won Olympic Gold in Beijing in 2008 and has appeared at two Copa America and one FIFA World Cup finals. In all, he has 58 caps for his country.
[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Bernardo Silva - Man City (reportedly £43.6 million)

[article]Manchester City are delighted to confirm Bernardo Silva will join the Club from Monaco on July 1.

The Portuguese playmaker will arrive at the Etihad having just helped the French side to the Ligue 1 title and the Champions League semi-finals.

He began his career at Benfica, where he impressed for their B side in the Segunda Division, and in the summer of 2013 he went to the Under 19 European Championships where he was named in the top 10 talents by UEFA reporters after helping Portugal to the semi-finals of the competition.

He moved to Monaco in 2014 on a season-long loan move having made three appearances for Benfica's first team – but so impressive were his displays in France, the deal was made permanent six months into the agreement.

Silva’s guile helped them finish third in Ligue 1 and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they beat Arsenal in the last 16 after a brilliant first-leg victory at the Emirates put them in a commanding position.

Having finished third in Ligue 1 again the following season, Leonardo Jardim’s attacking revolution began to gather pace in 2016/17.

Alongside the likes of Radamel Falcao, Fabinho, Benjamin Mendy, Thomas Lemar and Kylian Mbappe, Silva was instrumental in Monaco winning the French title and reaching the Champions League semi-finals, where they beat Tottenham twice in the group stage before eliminating City and Borussia Dortmund in the knock-out phase en route to the last four.

Silva made 51 appearances last season, scoring 10 goals and assisting a further 10, making him one of Europe’s most sought-after playmakers.

He made his senior international debut for Portugal in 2015 in a game against Cape Verde and already has 12 caps.

The agreement between City and Silva comes amid interest in the player from a host of top Clubs across Europe.

The 22-year-old, who intends to take the number 20 shirt next season, said:

“It feels great. To be honest I’m now at one of the best teams in the world. To be part of this club and to have this opportunity is great.

"I’m very happy to be part of Manchester City’s team and I look forward to trying to do my best to help the team reach their goals.

“If not the best coach in the world, he is one of the best.

"Of course when you have the opportunity of being trained by Guardiola, you don’t say no.

"As we all know, what he did in Barcelona and Bayern Munich was amazing and we expect also here that he will win titles. It’s great to be working with him and to have this opportunity.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Daniel Farke - Norwich (Head Coach)

[article]NORWICH City are delighted to confirm Daniel Farke’s appointment as Head Coach.

Farke joins from Borussia Dortmund II along with Edmund Riemer, who will take on the role of Assistant Head Coach.

The German pair have each agreed two-year deals at Carrow Road.

Farke, 40, led Dortmund’s reserve team to a second-place finish in Regionalliga West last season, losing just three matches over the course of the campaign while working closely with the first team’s Head Coach Thomas Tuchel.

Regarded as one of the most highly-rated young coaches in Germany, Farke replaced current Huddersfield Town boss David Wagner at Dortmund II after a six-year spell with SV Lippstadt 08.

He told canaries.co.uk: "I’m very excited to be here, it’s a great adventure for me.

"I was really looking forward to coming here and seeing all of the people and learning even more about the Club. I had a really good time with Borussia Dortmund, but Stuart Webber has told me all about Norwich City, its traditions and history, and I know what a great Club it is.

"The more I know about Norwich City, the more excited I get. I’m very glad to be here and can’t wait to get started."

The appointment brings an end to the search for a full-time replacement for Alex Neil, who departed the Club in March and was succeeded on an interim basis by Alan Irvine for the final ten games of the 2016-17 season.

Following a footballing and business restructure, Stuart Webber was appointed to the role of Sporting Director in April and he has overseen the recruitment process that has led to Farke becoming the 40th man to lead the Canaries.

Webber added: "I’m delighted to welcome Daniel on board. He was an outstanding candidate, and I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know his methods and how he works. When it became clear he was interested in coming here I was very pleased.

"Borussia Dortmund are known for employing high-class coaching talent, and if you look at his team at Dortmund they very much dominated possession and they were defensively very good. He’ll bring a certain style and identity to us that the fans can relate to.

"We gave ourselves the timeframe of getting a Head Coach in by the end of May and I’m very pleased that we’ve achieved that. The most important thing was not rushing it and making sure we got the decision right, and I must thank everyone at the Club and the supporters for their patience. I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Daniel here."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Marco Silva - Watford (Head Coach)

[article]Watford Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Marco Silva as Head Coach.

The 39-year old, who has experience of managing in Portugal, Greece and most recently in England with Hull City, has signed a two-year deal at Vicarage Road.

A title-winner in Greece with Olympiacos, he’d previously led Sporting to a third-place finish in Portugal in 2014 and delivered their first trophy – the Portuguese Cup – since 2008.

Early managerial experiences were gained at Estoril, where he guided the club to promotion and a place in Portugal’s top-flight.

The Greek Super League triumph in 2016 came with six games to spare, with Silva having earlier in that campaign led his team to victory at Arsenal in a UEFA Champions League match.

Chairman and CEO Scott Duxbury said of the appointment: “Marco was one of the most sought after Head Coaches in the Premier League.

"His pedigree and promise speaks for itself with his achievements in top divisions elsewhere across Europe, as well as his work at Hull City last season."

“We are delighted to have secured his services and to be welcoming a Head Coach of his profile and potential,” he added.

“It’s an exciting time to be a Watford fan, and I’m sure all supporters will join me in offering Marco and his family the warmest of welcomes to Vicarage Road.”[/article]

 

[Hansern]

Daniel Farke is obviously using the Norwich job as a cover while working for undercover SPECTRE.