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The Official Football (Soccer) Thread
Boo-Yaa †:
Cmon Kaunas :)
Elano:
MADRID, Spain - Real Madrid has signed Hamburg captain Rafael van der Vaart, making him the Spanish champion's fifth Dutch player.
Hamburg confirmed the transfer in a statement on its website on Monday. It did not give details of the deal.
News reports said Madrid will pay 13 million euros (C$20.5 million) for Van der Vaart, who joins compatriots Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Royston Drenthe.
"Rafael developed into a top European player at HSV," Hamburg sports director Dietmar Beiersdorfer said. "We wish him all the best for the future."
Earlier on Monday, Van der Vaart pre-empted Hamburg's announcement by announcing his move, describing it as "a dream comes true."
OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
Real Madrid C.F. and Hamburg SV have reached an agreement for the 5-season transfer of Dutch player Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart to the former club. The agreement is subject to the player's medical examination and his signing of a federation contract.
Van der Vaart will be officially presented on Tuesday 5 August at 13:00 CET in the Presidential Balcony of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
In other news,sneijder is out 3 months:
After an MRI on Monday morning, it was determined that Wesley Sneijder only damaged his left Internal Lateral Ligament and that his Anterior Cruciate Ligament remains fully intact. Sneijder is expected to miss three months, during which he will undergo orthopedic treatment and rehabilitation
Elano:
Window Watch: Vedran Corluka, Gareth Barry, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur were last night on the verge of agreeing a £6.8 million fee to sign Vedran Corluka, which would take their spending on players this summer to more than £50 million.
The Croatia defender was used at right back by Manchester City last season, but Tottenham believe that he can replace Ledley King in the long term as a central-defensive partner for Jonathan Woodgate. Tottenham, who were unable to complete deals to sign Fernando Meira or Fabricio Coloccini, have been looking at more than one centre back because of fitness concerns about King and the erratic form of Michael Dawson last season.
Tottenham were interested in signing Corluka in the middle of last year and playing him at right back, but they did not follow up their interest with a firm bid and the player moved to City from Dynamo Zagreb for a fee approaching £8 million last summer. Tottenham then signed Alan Hutton, the right back, from Rangers in January.
Corluka's proposed move is not without complications, but it is likely to go through. City are willing to sell a player who made 35 league appearances last season so that they can fund a move for a recognised right back. They have enough cover in central defence, with Richard Dunne, Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, and Tal Ben-Haim, recently signed from Chelsea. Onuoha's opportunities were restricted last season, after a 2006-07 campaign in which he had established himself in the first team, and he is attracting interest from several clubs.
Decent bets
Liverpool hope to complete a deal for Gareth Barry by the end of this week, possibly in time to play against Lazio in a friendly on Friday. The club are waiting for their American owners to transfer the money from the United States to meet the first instalment of Aston Villa's £18 million price tag — although there was some anxiety at Anfield yesterday afternoon when the funds had not yet arrived. Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, has conceded defeat in trying to keep the England midfield player.
Villa are likely to use some of the proceeds to try to buy Nicky Shorey after they, and Sunderland, offered in the region of £1.5 million for the left back. Reading are holding out for at least double that fee after effectively conceding that the England player has to be sold because he has a year left on his contract. Zenit St Petersburg have said that they are waiting on Tottenham to increase their bid for Andrei Arshavin, the Russia playmaker, from £15.5 million to more than £20 million.
Dead certs
Blackburn Rovers have signed Danny Simpson on a season-long loan from Manchester United. The full back, 21, played eight times for United last season before a loan spell at Ipswich Town. Blackburn have given a trial to Anthony Annan with a view to the Ghana midfield player moving from IK Start, in Norway as well as Paul Baysse, the Bordeaux and France Under-20 central defender.
West Ham United have signed Jan Lastuvka, as a reserve goalkeeper, on a season-long loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Ukrainian club. Portsmouth have signed Omar Koroma, the Gambian forward, from Banjul Hawks on a two-year deal. The 18-year-old is likely to be loaned to a Coca-Cola Championship club.
Long shots
Robinho, the Real Madrid and Brazil forward, says that he is mulling over offers from several clubs, including Chelsea. "The season is just starting and I've been given some offers from other clubs. I have one from Chelsea, but we're just discussing," he said.
(times)
KURUPTION-81:
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists the transfer saga surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo is over and he will stay at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo's future at United has been the subject of constant speculation all summer with the Portuguese refusing to commit himself to the club.
Real Madrid have been waiting in the wings to swoop for Ronaldo with the Spanish giants not hiding their liking for the dazzling winger.
Reports in Spain have claimed Ronaldo would inform Ferguson he wanted to leave Old Trafford for Madrid when he returns to the club later this week to undergo treatment on his ankle injury.
Throughout the summer, Ferguson has remained adamant that last season's top scorer would not be leaving the club and the wily Scot insists the whole saga is now finished.
"The matter is closed now," said Ferguson on Sky Sports News.
"He is a Manchester United player, it's finished.
"He is going to play here believe me."
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_3936787,00.html
Manchester United have said that they do not expect the Portuguese star to leave them and now Calderon has publicly stated that he also thinks this is the case.
"Van der Vaart is the first signing and probably the only one," said Calderon.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_3936450,00.html
Canuck:
I can't believe how cheap Van der Vaart went fuckin Barry going for 18mill is a disgrace
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