Confirmed Summer Transfers (2013/14)

[King Binny]

Dede - Cruzeiro (£4.7 million)

Dedé admitted that he is eager to make his debut for Cruzeiro, following long and complicated negotiations.

The transfer had beem delayed due to Vasco's debts with Brazil's National Treasury, but the deal was finally made official earlier this month.

He is expected to debut on Wednesday night, when Cruzeiro face Resende for the second round of the Brazilian Cup.

Dedé talked to reporters about his expectations, he said: "I am surely ready, I have trained a lot, three weeks working hard, all kinds of training routines, and I am happy that the time debut is coming."

"I am prepared, I am physically fine, but not match fit, although I am physically well."

Dedé took 17 free kicks during training this morning, scoring one goal and hitting the post one.

He said the following about it: "It was a training just to adapt to get used to the football, I always like to train, to adapt to the football."

"I have trained with a different football, but I have scored a free kick goal at Vasco. I will work, I think I have potential and can improve a lot taking free kicks."

 

[King Binny]

Lee Novak - Birmingham (free transfer)

http://www.bcfc.com/news/article/super-novak-830580.aspx

Forward Lee Novak has agreed to join Blues on a three-year contract.

The 24-year-old, previously at Huddersfield Town, will formally join on July 1 after his current deal with the Terriers expires.

Blues boss Lee Clark is well aware of Novak's capabilities having plucked the free-scoring Geordie out of non-league to sign for Huddersfield back in January 2009, before he was loaned back to Gateshead as part of that transfer.

Novak's goals helped fire Gateshead into the Conference National, picking up the club's Player of the Year accolade in the process, at the end of the 2008/09 season and he went on to become an important member of the Huddersfield side that eventually gained promotion to the Championship in 2012.

Schooled at the famous Wallsend Boys Club in Newcastle, Novak turned down a new contract with Huddersfield and will now seek a fresh challenge at St. Andrew's.

And Clark feels that it won't take long for his new recruit to become a crowd favourite with Bluenoses.

"Lee's looking to progress and coming to Birmingham City is another progression in his career," Clark told bcfc.com.

"The Blues crowd will take him because they'll see the work ethic of the player. They'll see everything that he gives and he'll quickly establish himself as a popular player with the fans.

"I gave Lee his opportunity in the Football League and for three years he was absolutely magnificent for me. He was what you call the second striker and played the role just off Jordan Rhodes.

"He's strong and he gets goals. We're looking forward to getting him on board with what we're trying to do here and I know he understands the way I want to play the game.

"I think he'll fit in really well with the new group we're putting together."

 

[King Binny]

Razvan Rat - West Ham (free transfer)

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Romania captain Razvan Rat on a free transfer.

The experienced left-back, who has 88 caps to his name, will join the Hammers on a one-year deal, with the Club having an option to extend to two or three years, on 1 July following the expiry of his contract with Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk.

Rat, 31, has spent the past decade with Shakhtar, winning seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukrainian Cups and lifting the UEFA Cup in 2009. He has made 248 appearances for the club, including 57 in the UEFA Champions League.

The Piatra-Olt-born defender played eight times in the UEFA Champions League in 2012/13, helping Shakhtar to defeat Chelsea on their way to the last-16. Domestically, he helped the club to win the Ukrainian Premier League title for the fourth season in succession and reach the Ukrainian Cup final in his last appearance.

Hammers manager Sam Allardyce is delighted to have secured his signature. He said: "I'm hugely happy that we've got a player of his experience and his character.

"He's been playing Champions League football this year and at the highest level for many years. Shakhtar had offered him a very good contract, but his ambition was to come and try his abilities and skills in England.

"When you hear somebody speak so positively about that, then you know they've got the mental character that's needed to do well in this division.

"We certainly know he's got the ability and he's at an age where he's still capable of producing at 31.

"He speaks perfect English, which he taught himself, and that shows the discipline and the character of the man. Discipline, character and ability are the three big things in the Premier League, and with a little bit of adjusting, we'll see him early on in the season giving hopefully his best performances for West Ham."

The 5'9 full-back started his career with hometown club Rapid Piatra-Olt before playing schoolboy and youth-team football for Universitatea Craiova, Constructorul Craiova, Sporting Pitesti and Cetatea Targu Neamt.

In 1998, the 17-year-old Rat joined Rapid Bucharest, quickly establishing himself at the Romanian Premier League club under manager Mircea Lucescu and making his European debut in a UEFA Cup qualifying round defeat at Armenian club Mika in August 2000.

After a six-month loan spell with smaller Romanian club FCM Bacau during the 2000/01 season, Rat returned to Bucharest, winning the Romanian Cup in 2002 and the Romanian Premier League title the following year.

Shakhtar moved to sign the defender in summer 2003 and he has enjoyed huge success since moving to Ukraine, lifting a total of 15 trophies - the vast majority of them under the guidance of former mentor and compatriot Lucescu, who took charge at the club in 2004.
At international level, Rat was capped at U21 level before making his senior debut against France in Paris in February 2002. Since then, he has been a virtual ever-present for Romania, earning 88 caps to date. His solitary international goal came in a 5-1 win over Germany in April 2004.

In 2008, he started all three group-stage matches at the UEFA European Championship finals in Switzerland before being appointed national-team captain in September 2011.

Rat becomes the third Romanian to represent West Ham after 1994 FIFA World Cup stars Florin Raducioiu and Ilie Dumitrescu.

 

[Oncy]

He was fucking brilliant on kids tv in the 80's him and Kezman Gerbil.

 

[DHSC]

Can we get a list of the free transfers available this season?

 

[Judge Jules]

He was fucking brilliant on kids tv in the 80's him and Kezman Gerbil.

Heeeeeeeyyy!

 

[King Binny]

Oleksandr Iakovenko - Fiorentina (free transfer)

http://it.violachannel.tv/dettaglio-ultimora/items/la-fiorentina-ingaggia-iakovenko.html

25 yr old striker from Anderlecht , Signed contract till 2016.

 

[King Binny]

Fernando Amorebieta - Fulham (free transfer)

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/m...&utm_medium=AllSocial&utm_campaign=Amorebieta

Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce the free transfer signing of Fernando Amorebieta on a four-year deal.

The 28-year-old central defender made more than 250 appearances in eight seasons for La Liga side Athletic Bilbao.

Having represented Spain at Under-19 level and lifting the UEFA European Football Championship in 2004, Amorebieta elected to play for his country of birth, Venezuela, at senior level.

He has eight international caps and one goal which came in a 1-0 victory against Argentina in a 2014 World Cup qualification match.

Amorebieta started his career at CD Baskonia in 2003 playing in Spain's third division. He moved to Bilbao in 2004 and spent one season with their reserves before becoming a first-team regular for the club in 2005.

Amorebieta said: "I'm delighted to have signed a four-year deal with Fulham and I'm looking forward to competing in the Barclays Premier League next season. I'm impressed with the talent already at the Club and I look forward to meeting the players for pre-season training in July."

 

[King Binny]

Derek Boateng - Fulham (free transfer)

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/m...ial&utm_medium=AllSocial&utm_campaign=Boateng

Following confirmation of international clearance, Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce the free transfer signing of Ghana international Derek Boateng on a one-year deal with an option for a further year.

The 30-year-old midfielder was previously at Ukrainian side FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, whom he played for against Fulham in last season’s UEFA Europa League qualification round.

Prior to moving to the Ukraine, Boateng made more than 70 appearances in just over two seasons at Spanish side Getafe and has represented his country on 46 occasions.

Boateng started his professional career at Kalamata FC in Greece in 1999 before moving to Panathinaikos in 2001. His move to Fulham and the Barclays Premier League follows spells in Greece, Israel, Germany, Spain and Ukraine.

Speaking from Fulham’s Motspur Park Training Ground, Boateng said: “I’m very happy that I have signed and I want to thank the Chairman, the Manager and the Board at Fulham Football Club. I’ve been working hard to come here and I’ll do my best for the Club.

“It’s been a long road for me but now I’m here I’m so happy and I can’t wait to start and give everything I have.”

 

[eecheerow]

Fernando Amorebieta - Fulham (free transfer)

http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2013/m...&utm_medium=AllSocial&utm_campaign=Amorebieta

This is exactly the reason we shouldn't be signing Kolo fucking Toure... if we're going to pick someone up on a free there are better fucking options. Amorebieta is younger, on less wages and is a better footballer than Toure.

 

[keniget]

We probably don't want either of them to be fair.

 

[King Binny]

Cristian Zapata - AC Milan

Milan have confirmed that signing of Villarreal defender Cristian Zapata on a three-year deal.

The Colombia international had been on loan at the Rossoneri last term from the Spanish club, playing in 23 League games.

But the San Siro side have today revealed that they have agreed a deal with the 26-year-old, who has put pen-to-paper on a contract that ends in June 2016.

 

[King Binny]

Nils Petersen - Werder Bremen (undisclosed fee)

Bayern Munich striker Nils Petersen (24), on loan to SV Werder Bremen since July 2012, has made his move to the northern club permanent after Bayern board director Jan-Christian Dreesen and his Bremen counterpart Thomas Eichin agreed the terms of a transfer deal on Thursday.

Petersen, who scored two goals in nine Bundesliga appearances for Bayern in the 2010/11 campaign and also played in three Champions League matches, will sign a four-year contract with Bremen. The former second division top scorer moves to Werder for an undisclosed fee and conditions.

 

[King Binny]

James Rodriguez - Monaco (€45m)

Joao Moutinho - Monaco (€25m)

http://www.asm-fc.com/fr/actualites/equipe/accord-avec-le-fc-porto-pour-moutinho-et-rodriguez

 

[the count]

Shame.
I was secretly hoping that Jimmy Rodriguez was going to be Downing's replacement 🙁

 

[King Binny]

Walter Mazzarri - Inter Milan (Head Coach)

FC Internazionale would like to announce that the club has appointed Walter Mazzarri as the new head coach. FC Internazionale would like to thank Andrea Stramaccioni for the great commitment and professionalism he showed in a particularly difficult year. Walter Mazzarri has signed a two-year deal.

Inter President Massimo Moratti explained his decision to bring in Walter Mazzarri. “We needed a Coach with his experience.”

The club made the official announcement this evening, sacking Andrea Stramaccioni so the ex-Napoli tactician could sign a two-year contract.

“Sackings are never nice,” confessed the patron on the club website. “This change is due to the fact that we'll have a tough year and I thought we needed a Coach with the experience of Mazzarri.

“That doesn't diminish the fact that we rate Stramaccioni as a talented Coach with potential and I’m sure he'll become one of the best coaches in Italy.

“The reasons might even safeguard his professionalism because perhaps he was particularly unlucky and, at this moment in time, he might need to find himself in an easier situation than the one at Inter. But with the year he’s had he will find that. It won't be an easy situation because we’ll need to show we’re very good and also of course have some luck.”

Mazzarri called it a day at Napoli last week after four years and was a free agent when he let his contract expire.

“The decision was made with a big focus on experience,” continued Moratti.

“Now let’s see what happens in the transfer market. We’ll speak to the Coach about that and we’ll see what comes out of that and then our hopes based on how good the team is.

“We didn't start badly this season, it was an Inter side capable of winning but then we had a series of catastrophes, in terms of injuries, that meant we didn’t do as well. We’ll certainly try to rebuild to have solid targets.”

Moratti shrugged off suggestions he was willing to sell Inter.

“No, come off it.”

 

[King Binny]

James Rodriguez - Monaco (€45m)

Joao Moutinho - Monaco (€25m)

http://www.asm-fc.com/fr/actualites/equipe/accord-avec-le-fc-porto-pour-moutinho-et-rodriguez

A statement issued by Porto read: "Futebol Clube do Porto would like to inform the market that it has reached an agreement with Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club for the permanent transfer of players James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.
"The combined fee of this transfer is €70million (£60m), €45m (£38.4m) for the transfer of James Rodriguez and €25m (£21.4m) for the transfer of Joao Moutinho."
---
Read that Porto apparently valued Moutinho at a lower fee so that Sporting Lisbon will get a smaller share of sell-on fee.

 

[King Binny]

Aurelien Chedjou - Galatasaray (€6.3 million)

 

[King Binny]

Alper Potuk - Fenerbahce (€6.25 million + Orhan Şam and Henri Bienvenu)

Fenerbahçe have completed the signing of Alper Potuk from Eskişehirspor on a five-year deal.

"I'm so happy, from now on I will devote my career to Fenerbahçe.

"The transfer was in the best interests of Eskişehirspor, Fenerbahçe and myself.

"I will do my best to represent Fenerbahçe and the Turkish national team in the best possible way."

Eskişehirspor are reported to have accepted a €6.25 million transfer fee in addition to part-exchange deal which will see Orhan Şam and Henri Bienvenu join the club.

Potuk played 126 times for Eskişehirspor over five seasons and has four Turkish national team caps.

 

[King Binny]

Sokratis Papastathopoulos - Dortmund (€9.5 million)

 

[Hansern]

Djurcic and Markovic to Benfica

 

[King Binny]

Danny Wilson - Hearts (free transfer)

Danny, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Tynecastle, has agreed to sign a three-year deal upon expiration of his current contract at Liverpool.

The Scotland internationalist becomes manager Gary Locke's first summer capture as he looks to rebuild his side for the 2013/14 campaign.

Centre-half Danny, who rejected the advances of other interested parties to commit his long-term future to Hearts, made 15 appearances in an impressive loan spell from Premier League side Liverpool.

Speaking to Hearts News, Gary Locke said: "I'm delighted that Danny has decided to sign for the club permanently. He has a wealth of experience despite only being 21 years old and has already shown how talented he is in his loan spell here.

"I'd like to thank Liverpool for allowing him to come here in the first instance, and Danny himself for showing faith in this club and choosing us when there was interest elsewhere.

"This is the type of player I'm wanting to attract to the club and I firmly believe that if he continues to play the way that he can then he'll be called back up to the Scotland squad in no time at all."

Danny also spoke exclusively to Hearts News, saying: "I am delighted to have my future sorted out. It didn't take me long to decide about committing myself to Hearts once the club made it known they were keen to keep me. I just want to play football and I firmly believe that staying at Tynecastle will benefit my career.

"I really enjoyed my time on loan here and am very pleased the move has been made permanent. This is a great club with great supporters and I'm looking forward to helping bring more success to Hearts.

"I believe the club has a bright future with a lot of good young players and being part of that excites me."

 

[King Binny]

Colin Cooper - Hartlepool United (First Team Manager)
Craig Hignett - Hartlepool United (Assistant/Reserve Team Manager)

Hignett, Copper

Hartlepool United are delighted to announce the appointment of Colin Cooper as the Club's new First Team Manager.
The 46-year-old will take the reins at Victoria Park immediately and has appointed Craig Hignett as the new Assistant/Reserve Team Manager to assist him.

Cooper built up a big reputation as a player during which he made over 600 senior appearances while starring for Middlesbrough, Millwall, Nottingham Forest and Sunderland.

Since retiring from playing in 2006, Cooper has focused his efforts on forging a successful coaching career and initially served as Reserve and First Team Coach at Middlesbrough before stepping up to assistant manager in 2009.

After a short spell in caretaker charge following the departure of Gareth Southgate, he moved on to Bradford City where he proved popular with supporters in his role as assistant to Peter Jackson.

He returned to Middlesbrough in 2011 to take on a role in the Academy but has made no secret of his desire to become a Manager and is delighted to be handed that opportunity at Victoria Park.

 

[Judge Jules]

Colin Cooper once won me a tenner from the "Private Eye" Colemanballs column when I sent in his comment that Brian Clough was "one of those managers you'd give your left leg to play for".

 

[King Binny]

Rafael Benitez - Napoli (Head Coach)

"Now that the agreement is confirmed, I can say I am very happy and very satisfied for having committed to a great club with an illustrious heritage like Napoli," he said on his official website, www.rafabenitez.com. "I understand the history of the city and how the club forms a fundamental part of the culture and traditions of Naples.

"I must confess that I am extremely excited because I can share my passion for football with the fans of Napoli; it is proven that they are very, very special. "

"I look forward to experiencing each and every one of the fans of Napoli and their strong support for this project that we will begin.

"I'm happy to become a member of that great family of Naples and thus we can share the triumphs together. We will begin from the start as we mean to go on and we will fight from the beginning to achieve success for the fans of SSC Napoli."

Benitez also confirmed that fitness coach Francisco de Miguel Moreno and goalkeeping coach Vicente Javier Valero Berchili, who were both part of his backroom team at Liverpool, Inter Milan and Chelsea will join him once again.

Benitez will begin his new job in July and Napoli were delighted with their acquisition.

"Rafa Benitez is the new coach of Napoli," read a statement on www.sscnapoli.it.

"The agreement was signed today in London.

"SSC Napoli is happy to welcome a coach so prestigious in their own family. A welcome also to his collaborators."

The news was first broken by club president Aurelio de Laurentiis, who announced the signing on his verified Twitter feed.

De Laurentiis posted a picture of himself shaking hands with Benitez, and wrote: "Rafa Benitez is the new coach of Napoli. A great man with international experience. A leader."

 

[Judge Jules]

Now you know why I never won the pools. 😀

Will his family uproot themselves and follow him to Italy a second time after all?

 

[King Binny]

Felipe Santana - Schalke (€1 million)

Schalke have signed central defender Felipe Santana from local rivals Borussia Dortmund on a three-year contract. The Brazilian requested a transfer from Dortmund earlier this week and the UEFA Champions League finalists did not want to stand in his way.

"We would like to thank him for five fantastic, successful years and we wish him all the best for his personal future," said Dortmund director of sport Michael Zorc.

Santana, who has appeared 95 times in the Bundesliga and scored six goals, will fill the void left by the retirement of Christoph Metzelder.

"We are very pleased that Felipe Santana has opted for Schalke," said the club's director of sport Horst Heldt. "He is known for his aggressive tackling, his reliability and his danger in front of goal, while he has known the Bundesliga for five years."

Despite moving between two bitter local rivals, Santana hopes he does not leave behind any ill-feeling at Dortmund. He said his decision to leave was purely due to his lack of regular football, with Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic the two first-choice centre-backs under Jurgen Klopp, while Sokratis Papastathopoulos's arrival from Werder Bremen has further intensified competition for places.

"It was a tough decision for me to leave," he told Dortmund's official website. "That is clear by the fact I extended my contract last summer even though I was not playing regularly.

"But I have got to play regularly now if I want my dream of playing for the Brazil national team to become reality, and that is the aim I have."

His last-gasp goal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Malaga helped Dortmund eventually reach the final at Wembley.

Santana added: "It is important for me to thank the fans, my team-mates and the club bosses for the wonderful time I had in Dortmund."

 

[King Binny]

George Boyd - Hull City (free transfer)

Hull City have today completed the permanent signing of George Boyd from Peterborough United, following a successful loan spell.

Boyd, who was out of contract in the summer at London Road, has signed a two-year deal with the Tigers.

The Chatham-born Scotland international scored four goals in 13 games as Hull won promotion to the Premier League.

Boyd was Peterborough's record signing when he moved from non-league Stevenage in 2007 and his 297 appearances came across all three Football League tiers.

 

[King Binny]

Jermaine Easter - Millwall (free transfer)

Jermaine Easter will put pen to paper on a one-year contract this weekend, concluding a deal that was initiated by former manager Kenny Jackett.

The Welsh international striker, 31, was on loan from Crystal Palace last season in which he scored one goal in nine appearances for The Lions. He will complete his move once formalities are completed.

And Jermaine is already looking forward to the new campaign, saying: "The circumstances are slightly strange I suppose that Kenny (Jackett) has left the club now, but when I was on loan myself and Kenny agreed everything and I was expecting to be playing for him next season.

However I've been in the game long enough to know how football works, so will now be looking to do well under the new manager.

There were some highs and lows in my time at Millwall last season, obviously scoring on my debut at Charlton was great but after the FA Cup Semi-Final the form wasn't great and going into the last game of the season needing to get something or for other results to go our way. Next year we want to enjoy our football a bit more and be pushing up the table, not be involved at the bottom.

I think a major factor was the injuries we suffered in midfield; Richard Chaplow showed what he could do before he got injured and Liam Trotter was out for a spell too. From an attacking point of view, as a striker, if you lose central midfielders who are also going to create and score goals for you, it does make it that bit harder.

Now, however, I'm looking forward to the new season and playing under whoever the new manager is.

Kenny Jackett did a fantastic job for Millwall and the new manager will undoubtedly put his own stamp on the team, bring in a few new players and try to move the club on.

These are exciting times and hopefully the coming season will see us challenging for the Play-Offs."

 

[King Binny]

Ricardo Carvalho - Monaco (free transfer)

The international portuguese player joined AS Monaco FC for the next saison 2013-2014. Free of contract after 3 seasons in Real Madrid, Ricardo Carvalho signed this tuesday for one season with one year in option. After FC Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid, the defender, 35 years old, will play in a new "exciting league. I'm very happy to join AS Monaco FC and to be part of the new adventure. This is a new challenge for me".