Chelsea
Spain striker Diego Costa completed his move to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid. Chelsea announced on Tuesday that Costa signed a five-year contract, two weeks after the London club agreed to meet the player’s reported buyout clause of €38 million (Dh189.5m). Costa scored 35 goals last season to help Atletico win their first Spanish league title in 18 years and reach the Champions League final, knocking out Chelsea in the semi-finals. “Having played against Chelsea last season, I know the high quality of the squad I am joining,” he said. Costa joins former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas in moving from Spain to Stamford Bridge this summer. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois spent three years on loan with Atletico and is expected to compete with Petr Cech for Chelsea’s No 1 shirt. Atletico’s Brazil left-back Felipe Luis is also the subject of interest from Chelsea.
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Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp is confident of finalising a deal for Rio Ferdinand, insisting the former Manchester United defender is keen to move to Loftus Road. Ferdinand worked for the BBC at the World Cup the past month. Ferdinand, 35, who has won six Premier League titles, two League Cups, one Uefa Champions League and a Club World Cup, left United after his contract was not renewed at season’s end. Redknapp told talkSPORT: “I am going to meet him and hopefully we can get it sorted.”
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Liverpool
In yet another notable makeover move, Liverpool finalized the signing of Serbia winger Lazar Markovic from Benfica.
The 20 year old joined for an undisclosed fee, reported to be as high as £20 million (Dh126m), on what the English Premier League club describe as a “long-term deal”.
Markovic is Liverpool’s fourth new recruit of the summer, following the arrivals of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Emre Can.
Mrkovic began his professional career with Partizan Belgrade and won successive Serbian titles with them before leaving last summer to join Benfica.
READ MORE AT THENATIONAL.AE/SPORT
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Barcelona
Brazil back Dani Alves met new Barcelona coach Luis Enrique in hopes of locking down his future at the Spanish league club. The 31-year-old right back is in the last year of his deal, and has been linked with French club Paris Saint-Germain. Alves arrived yesterdayto speak with Enrique, “and after we meet we can decide if I continue or not. It’s not just up to me. My idea is to fulfil the contract I signed, but it has to be of mutual accord.” Since Alves’s transfer from Sevilla in 2008, Barcelona have won 16 trophies, including a pair of Champions Leagues and four domestic titles. At the World Cup, Alves was relegated to the bench in the knockout stages after starting for Brazil in the group stage.
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Burnley
Newly promoted Premier League side Burnley signed Middlesbrough striker Lukas Jutkiewicz on a three-year deal. Jutkiewicz, 25, who scored 11 goals in 64 appearances for second-tier side Middlesbrough, joined for a fee of £1.5 million (Dh9.45m), according to reports. He becomes Burnley’s sixth signing ahead of the new Premier League season and will link up with teammates during their pre-season training camp in Austria. Burnley host Chelsea in their opening league fixture on August 18.
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Napoli
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says negotiations with Swansea City over Michu are “well under way” but that no agreement has been reached. The Spanish forward had a revelatory first season at the Premier League following his low-key arrival from Rayo Vallecano, but he was hampered by injury last year and managed six goals in all competitions. Napoli, managed by Michu’s compatriot Rafael Benitez, have been long-term admirers of the 28 year old and are understood to be keen on a year-long loan with the option of a permanent move to follow. Another member of Swansea’s Spanish contingent, Pablo Hernandez, is the subject of interest from Qatari club Al Alarabi, as the squad left behind by Michael Laudrup continues to be reshaped by new manager Garry Monk.
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Newcastle United
Daryl Janmaat, 24, arrived in Newcastle to complete a move from Feyernoord. The Netherlands international right-back will fill the gap created by Mathieu Debuchy’s impending departure for Arsenal. He would become Newcastle’s fifth summer signing, following Remy Cabella, Siem de Jong, Jack Colback and Ayoze Perez.
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