Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has joined Serie A side Torino on loan until the end of the season, the player’s agent confirmed on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old has been out of favour at Manchester City since the arrival of new manager Pep Guardiola and dropped to number three in the pecking order behind £17 million pound (Dh81.7 million) signing Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero.
Hart’s agent Jonathan Barnett told Tuttosport: “Yes, Joe Hart will play at Torino. It’s done.
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“He has said ‘yes’ to the club and now Manchester City have given the OK. It’s all true, it’s certain.”
Hart is on international duty with England this week but has been given permission to fly to Italy to resolve his future with the British media reporting that he was due to arrive in Turin later on Tuesday.
A loan move to Premier League Sunderland was also listed among his options in the media but Hart has opted for a new start in Italy, where he will become the first English goalkeeper to play in Serie A since the league began in 1929.
Torino thrashed Bologna 5-1 on Sunday in their latest Serie A start and are seventh in the standings on three points after two matches.
* Reuters
Barcelona swoop for Valencia’s Alcacer
Barcelona announced on Tuesday the signing of Spain forward Paco Alcacer from Valencia on a five-year contract.
He moves to the Nou Camp on his 23rd birthday for a fee of €30 million (Dh123 million) and is likely to be the Spanish champions’ last signing in the transfer window.
Alcacer’s buyout clause has been set at 100 million euros and the player, who is on international duty with Spain, will be unveiled next week.
Barca’s priority was to add a striker but they lost out on signing Nolito and Kevin Gameiro, with the former joining Manchester City and the latter Atletico Madrid.
Alcacer is Barca’s fourth attacking option behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
He scored 13 times last season in La Liga.
Alcacer had been at Valencia since 2005 and has featured at every age-group level for Spain.
The Torrente-born player is the Catalan side’s sixth singing of the summer following the arrivals of Jasper Cillessen, Denis Suarez, Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti and Andre Gomes.
* Reuters
Arsenal seal move for Spanish striker Perez
Arsenal have completed a deal to sign Spanish striker Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.
Discussing Perez, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club website: “He’s not only a goalscorer, he’s a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs.
“He’s got a good eye for goal and had an outstanding season last year.”
Arsenal are reported to have seen off competition from Premier League rivals Everton to secure Perez’s signature. Perez, who is uncapped, scored 19 goals for Deportivo last season, including 17 in La Liga.
He also scored the winning goal in their 2-1 win over Eibar on the opening day of this season. He began his career with Atletico Madrid’s C team and has also played for Rayo Vallecano, Ukrainian side Karpaty Lviv and Greek club PAOK.
Perez follows Swiss international midfielder Granit Xhaka, Japanese forward Takuma Asano and young English centre-back Rob Holding in arriving at Arsenal during the mid-year transfer window.
* Agence France-Presse
Aubameyang eyes Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is pushing for a move to Real Madrid, according to reports in the Spanish media.
Aubameyang, 27, enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career last season, scoring 40 goals in 44 appearances for Dortmund, winning the CAF African Footballer of the Year award in the process.
The Gabon international has started the current season in similar vein, scoring both goals in Dortmund’s opening Bundesliga victory over Mainz on Saturday.
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Aubameyang has attracted interest from a host of European clubs this summer, including Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester City, although Dortmund’s £70 million (Dh336m) asking price proved a decisive obstacle.
Real Madrid are also among the clubs interested, and according to Marca, Aubameyang has told Dortmund of his desire to join the Spanish giants should an acceptable offer be made.
Marca's report also claims that negotiations are yet to advance to an advanced stage, while Madrid's re-signing of Alvaro Morata from Juventus, means a deal this summer remains unlikely.
Last month, Aubameyang revealed his desire to play for Madrid having made a pledge to his grandfather that he would play in the Primera Liga.
“Only Real Madrid could lure me away from Borussia Dortmund,” Aubameyang said.
“I made a promise to my maternal grandfather that one day I’d play in Spain and if the opportunity arises, I’d like to do so at Real Madrid.”
* Staff, reports
Chelsea striker loaned to Burnley
Young Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford has joined Burnley on a season-long loan, the two Premier League clubs announced on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old England Under-21 international, signed from Nottingham Forest in January 2012, has never played a competitive game for Chelsea.
He has previously been loaned out to Milton Keynes Dons, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Norwich City.
Bamford scored 17 goals for Middlesbrough in the Championship in the 2014-15 season, but made little impression at Palace and Norwich in the top flight last term.
His arrival follows Burnley’s club-record 7.5 million pounds ($9.8 million, 8.8 million euros) capture of Belgium international Steven Defour from Anderlecht.
Sean Dyche’s side have welcomed eight new players to Turf Moor since the end of last season.
Burnley went into the international break in 13th place in the Premier League standings with three games played.
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