Adriano thrilled with Milan move.

New AC Milan striker Luiz Adriano is thrilled to have completed his move to the San Siro after eight seasons at Shakhtar Donetsk.

The Brazil international has joined the Italian giants for an eight million euros transfer fee and signed a five-year contract with the Rossoneri outfit.

"I've joined one of the biggest clubs in the world and I'm really happy," Adriano said to the Italian press. "I can't wait to start training and playing for Milan.

"This is a very important move in my career."

The 28-year-old joined Shakhtar from Brazilian club Internacional in the summer of 2007 and scored 79 goals in 162 appearances for the Ukrainian giants.

Luiz Adriano won six league titles and a Europa League crown with Shakhtar during his eight years at the club.

"I'm leaving Shakhtar after eight years, a club that is very important to me," he said. "They believed in my potential and helped me establish myself in world football.

"I thank President Rinat Akhmetov, the coach Mircea Lucescu - who was like a father to me - and all my team-mates, who helped me to reach these levels.

"I want to give a special thanks to the fans, who always showed me their affection."

AC Milan are also set to further strengthen their attack with the arrival of Carlos Bacca from Sevilla.

Both clubs have reached an agreement for the player's transfer to the San Siro but the Colombia forward still has to undergo a medical before the deal can be completed.Share Article:

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Man Utd transfers: Nicolas Gaitan responds to talk of summer move

Nicolas Gaitan plays down talks of a potential transfer away from Benfica this summer.

Nicolas Gaitan has played down talk of a possible summer transfer to Manchester United by insisting that he is happy at Benfica.

Gaitan has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford and has again been touted as a possible target for the Red Devils in recent weeks as Louis van Gaal looks to bolster his squad ahead of his second season in charge of the club.

The 27-year-old has also reportedly attracted interest from Spanish sides Atletico Madrid and Valencia this summer as his future at Benfica continues to be a source of speculation.

However, the attacking midfielder has moved to pour cold water on reports linking him with a move away from Benfica this summer by insisting that he is happy at the Portuguese club.

“I am well at Benfica,” Gaitan told Portuguese daily Record. “I have a contract.

“During the holidays they said I’d been sold, but today I’m here. It’s always the same story.”

Gaitan scored four goals in 27 league appearances for Benfica last season and also featured five times in the Champions League for the Portuguese side.

Manchester City Close on £8m Delph Signing

Manchester City are closing in on the £8m signing of Aston Villa and England midfielder Fabian Delph, according to ​Goal.

Delph is set to become the Premier League runners-up's first recruit of the summer on a long-term contract worth £100,000 a week, the report claims.

City are keen to boost their quota of homegrown players following the departures of James Milner, Frank Lampard, Micah Richards, Scott Sinclair, Dedryck Boyata and John Guidetti this summer, but have been left frustrated in their attempts to lure Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling to the Etihad Stadium.Goal understands that despite only being offered squad player status by City, Delph will be afforded a similar level of first-team opportunities as Milner, a former Villa player himself, last term.

Delph, who like Milner also began his career at Leeds United, only agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Villa in January, but the deal is thought to have included an £8m get-out clause which City are believed to have triggered.

Villa appear to have wasted no time in securing a replacement for the 25-year-old, with a £9m deal for Lille's Idrissa Gueye said to be close.

The Villains are also reported to have offered £7m for Anderlecht youngster Denis Praet with manager Tim Sherwood, who lost out on the permanent signing of Tom Cleverley to Everton, seeking further reinforcements.

It is unclear whether the signing of Delph, who has six England caps, will put paid to City's interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who is the subject of a reported £71m bid from the Blues, but has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona instead

Ramos keen on United switch – Calderon

Amid increasing speculation over the future of Sergio Ramos, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed the defender wants to leave the club for Manchester United.

Spain international Ramos is a reported target for United boss Louis van Gaal, as rumours continue to link goalkeeper David de Gea with a move in the opposite direction to join Real.

And Calderon, president of Real between 2006 and 2009, says Ramos is keen on a switch to Old Trafford.

Calderon told BBC Sport: “I know Sergio has told the general manager to listen to offers they get from Manchester United.

“He only wants to go to United.”

Reports have suggested Ramos is seeking to capitalise on the uncertainty over his future by securing an improved contract at Real.

However, Calderon added: “Things are in a very bad situation. As time has gone on, things have not only not improved, they have got worse.

“Now it is not a question of money. It is a lack of affection the player is feeling from Real Madrid.”

Ramos wants United move - Report

Spain defender Sergio Ramos wants to leave Real Madrid to join Manchester United, according to Graham Hunter.

Sky Sports' Spanish expert Hunter says he expects the deal to go through because the player has made it very clear to Madrid boss Rafa Benitez that he wants to leave the Bernabeu.

United have reportedly had a bid of 40million euros (£28.6m) turned down by Real and the club are believed to be pondering making a second improved offer for the 29-year-old. 

Ramos, who is currently on holiday, has two years remaining on his Real contract, but the former Sevilla man is believed to a favour a move away, with United the only destination he will consider.

"Ramos has told Madrid directly that he is absolutely and completely committed to leaving the club this summer, that he specifically wants them to begin negotiations with Manchester United and that he doesn't want them to negotiate with anybody except Manchester United," Hunter told Sky Sports News HQ.

"People have been questioning Sergio Ramos' intentions, whether Manchester United being used as was the case a couple of summers ago when Cesc Fabregas looked like he might be available to David Moyes.

"But it is a very firm display of intention from Manchester United. In Ramos they want someone who will form part of a firm spine of the team, who knows how to win, who has experience of winning, adding character and talent to what we saw was a regeneration under Louis van Gaal last season.

"Ramos is the focal point of that development and that's why they have made the bid. Real Madrid can be under no illusions that Ramos wants to go to Manchester United and he expects them to comply.

"He feels slighted by the renegotiation of other players' contracts around him when he's coming to that age when this new contract will be the high point of what remains of his career. 

"He will also be unhappy with the way the club did not dismiss the story that he had been offered to Barcelona. There is a lack of communication between the single most important man at Madrid in president Florentino Perez and Ramos - a captain, fans' favourite and leader. 

"Ramos is a bold and brave footballer and that is echoed in his character. He believes the bid matches his current value.

"He looks at the project to rebuild Manchester United, to make it great again, and he wants to be part of it."

Manchester United target informs Real Madrid he wants to leave the Bernabeu

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Manchester United target Sergio Ramos has told Real Madrid that he wants to leave the club, reports the Daily Express.

This comes amid reports that the Red Devils have made a £28.6 million bid for the 29-year-old, including this from the BBC. However, the negotiations are far from over, with Los Blancos’ interest in David De Gea likely to play a part in proceedings. MARCA has reported that United boss Louis van Gaal is dragging his heels over the 24-year-old’s move, but the Express believe that Real may well ask for him as part of a deal for Ramos now.

Whether the Old Trafford hierarchy would entertain this idea is another matter. However, it is obvious that the Red Devils are in need of a new centre-back. Last season they had to rely heavily on goalkeeper De Gea, with players such as Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, and Jonny Evans all looking error-prone. With the team competing in the Champions League next time round they will likely need to upgrade their back line if they are to have any chance of success.

MARCA have claimed that Ramos and Real president Florentino Perez are €2.5 million apart in their contract negotiations. This source of unhappiness has forced the player to ask for a move, and United could well be the lucky side as a result. They may have to fight off local rivals Manchester City for his signature though, according to ESPN

TOTTENHAM TO INCLUDE EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR IN BID FOR CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

Reports are out claiming that Tottenham are understood to have considered including Emmanuel Adebayor in any potential deal with Aston Villa to sign Christian Benteke.

Spurs are competing with Liverpool for the signature of Benteke, but like the Reds, they are unwilling to meet Villa’s £32.5million valuation of the Belgian striker

However, according to mirror.co.uk, Spurs are willing to send Adebayor to Villa Park as part of the deal, reuniting him with former manager Tim Sherwood.

Spurs are hopeful the relationship between the pair will work in their favour, although the Togolese international’s hefty £100,000-a-week wages could be a potential roadblock.

The former Arsenal and Manchester City star would become the highest paid player at Villa Park should a deal take place, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy potentially having to subsidise his wages to keep the 31-year-old off the books at White Hart Lane

Liverpool preparing bid for Aymen Abdennour

Liverpool have made a good start in the summer transfer window. The Merseyside club have signed six players so player, including the big money deal for Roberto Firmino, who joined the club for £29m from Hoffenheim. Furthermore, they had already agreed a deal for Southampton defender Nathaniel Clyne, who completed his medical yesterday at Anfield. His official announcement is only a matter of time now. 

The target now shifts to buying a good central defender. And this is one area where Liverpool have to be careful with their targets. Last summer Brendan Rodgers signed Dejan Lovren, a player of his choice, by paying over £20m, and he turned out to be a huge flop at the club.

According to reports in the French media, Liverpool are interested in signing Monaco’s Aymen Abdennour. The Anfield club have made contact with the player’s agent over a possible deal.

Premier League club West Ham are also equally interested in Abdennour. The Hammers have already offered €18m but it was rebuffed immediately. La Liga giants Barcelona are also thought to be his long term admirer  and had made a €30m approach for the defender.

Abdennour caught the attention of top European clubs with his excellent performances in the Champions League for Monaco last season. The Tunisia defender initially joined Monaco on a season long loan from Toulouse, and then signed a four year contract, that will keep him at the club till 2019.

The player’s agent, Abdelkader Jilani, has revealed that several other European clubs have had shown interest in his client.

“They are one of the interested parties, like Milan, Inter, Juventus and Liverpool,” he said, as quoted by AS. 

Abdennour was also linked with a move to Manchester United last week. It could one of those media driven interest, as we all know, United currently are trying to secure a deal for Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos. Therefore, it is highly improbable that United would turn attention to other defenders, when they are putting in a concrete effort to sign the Spain international.

The player has expressed his desire to play for a big European club. GFFN claims that Liverpool are preparing a bid for the 25-year-old defender. If the Reds meet their valuation, Abdennour could be on his way to joining the Anfield club in the summer.

Arda Turan agrees terms with Manchester United

According to Turkish football show presenter, Ersin Duzen, Arda Turan has agreed personal terms with Manchester United and the player will undergo a medical soon.

TRT Spor’s Futbol Günlüğü program presenter Ersin Düzen, claimed that Manchester United are set to snap up the Atletico Madrid man, who has grown increasingly frustrated with Atletico’s style of play and wants to move to a more footballing side.

According to reports, Simeone’s style of play demands a significant defensive contribution from the Turkish star and he is keen to express himself more in games.

Manchester United are keen to sign an attacking midfielder this summer and after being beaten to Roberto Firmino by Liverpool, Van Gaal is keen to snap up the experienced Liverpool fan, Turan.

Turan has been linked with a move to England for years, especially after the Turkish international publicly spoke about his dream to play for Liverpool. At one point under Rafa Benitez, the Atleti midfielder looked certain to join the Reds.

Despite the likes of Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata at the club, Van Gaal is keen to strengthen his attacking midfield options which would allow him to use Wayne Rooney solely as a forward this season. The United captain has been played all over the park, especially in attacking midfield to compensate for the lack of a genuine playmaker centrally.

Juan Mata’s movement and goalscoring ability has been an asset for Manchester United, but Van Gaal is keen on using a playmaker as opposed to a goalscoring number ten.

Turan brings with himself a wealth of experience and proven pedigree at the highest level. Should United manage to land the Turk, there is plenty of reasons for their fans to be excited about.

Arsenal interested in William Carvalho, club ends Vidal pursuit

According to the Telegraph, Arsenal are have ended their pursuit of Chile international, Arturo Vidal.

Arsene Wenger was thought to be a keen admirer of the Juventus midfielder, but the Frenchman is now exploring alternatives.

While there is no concrete reason as to why Arsenal have dropped their interest, Vidal’s age and wage demands could be a factor. Earlier this summer, Real Madrid also dropped their interest in the Chilean following the reports of his accident in Santiago.

It is believed that Vidal leads a very straight edge life outside of football, one that is not suitable for a professional. Spanish publications suggested that his lifestyle was the main reason behind Madrid not choosing to pursue him.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have turned their attentions to William Carvalho.

Arsene Wenger has been linked with the Portuguese midfielder for two seasons now. The Sporting midfielder is rated as one of the best young defensive midfielders in the world right now and could leave Portugal this summer.

Earlier last season, Mirror claimed that Carvalho is valued at £35m and that the price put off a couple of Premier League clubs including Arsenal.

Following a mixed season with Sporting this year, the price for Carvalho is expected to come down and Wenger is keen to make the most of it.

Arsenal midfield are in need of a combative and intelligent defensive midfielder like Carvalho and although Coquelin has a done a brilliant job in the second half of last season, Arsenal are lacking specialist depth in the position.

Whether Arsenal manage to pull it off, remains to be seen but Carvalho coming in after Cech means that Wenger has already boxed off two of the most important requirements in his squad and would represent an outstanding window for the Gunners.

Why Petr Cech signing may be Arsenal's first step towards the title

When criticising Arsene Wenger’s transfer policies over the past decade, one really does not know where to start. Even though Arsenal were debt-ridden up until recently owing to the building of the Emirates Stadium, the manager’s extreme parsimony at times, coupled with his decisions to let his star players go, have left a large portion of the fans frustrated. But in the last three years, things have started to change.

The elation with which Petr Cech’s arrival from Chelsea has been greeted is no surprise. Even though he is no longer the first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge, and even though he is 33, Cech remains one of the best in his department across Europe. He also vast experience, and was one of the stalwarts in what was undisputedly the best defensive line-up in the history of the Premier League in the 2004/05 season at Chelsea.

He will bring a lot to the table at the Emirates. For one, Arsenal haven’t really had a world-class goalkeeper in their side since Jens Lehmann left the club in 2008. All their shot-stoppers since including Manuel Almunia, Lukas Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny have been inconsistent. They clearly haven’t been good enough to perform for an entire season and bring silverware to the club.

Cech’s introduction will not only shore up the goalkeeping department, but will also be a big help to the Gunners’ backline. The 4-time Premier League winner is very authoritative and commanding from his box, directing his defenders constantly and making sure they are not out-of-position.

Can Arsenal win the Premier League?

Wenger has made some fantastic signings in the last three years, shelling out over £80 million to bring in Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and now Cech from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea respectively. Now if that is not a signal of intent, I don’t know what is.

Also, what is even more significant here is that he has managed to sign a player from one of his biggest rivals. Chelsea may the Premier League champions and Cech may not be in the first-team, but he has certainly made Arsenal much stronger than before. It is no surprise that Jose Mourinho did not want to sell his second goalie to the Blues’ London counterparts.

Chelsea captain John Terry said a few days ago, “He will save them 12 or 15 points a season. Petr was an unbelievable professional last year. When you get left out of the team it can be hard to accept but when he came in he was exceptional.”

Arsenal still need to bring in a couple more world-class additions, but this is a big step in the right direction. A defensive midfielder, along with a striker, still need to be brought in for them to challenge Chelsea.

But after years of agony, it looks like the glory days may well be returning to Arsenal. Following 9 trophyless seasons, they have now won back-to-back FA Cups, and if the likes of Sanchez, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey can continue their progress, the Gunners will surely be title-contenders next year.