Liverpool
England defender Nathaniel Clyne became the fourth player to join Liverpool from Southampton in the past year after signing for a reported fee of £12.5 million (Dh71.5m) on Wednesday.
Liverpool said Clyne moved on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee, making the right-back the club’s sixth arrival of the summer.
Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, and Rickie Lambert left Southampton for Liverpool last summer for a combined cost of nearly £50m.
Clyne will replace Glen Johnson, who has been released by Liverpool.
Clyne, 24, has established himself as England’s first-choice right-back this year.
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“As soon as Liverpool showed their interest in me, I was happy and just wanted the deal to go through,” Clyne said. “It’s definitely a good opportunity to come here and try to fulfil my potential.”
Liverpool have also signed Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Danny Ings this summer, as well as goalkeeper Adam Bogdan and young defender Joe Gomez following a disappointing season.
The club finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to get out of their group in the Uefa Champions League. They have also lost long-serving captain Steven Gerrard, who has moved to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“There is room for improvement, and you can see with the signings that have been made we’re pushing for it,” Clyne said. “If we get a good pre-season out of the way and start the season brightly, it’ll be looking good.”
Clyne had one year left on his contract at Southampton.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have signed Brazil midfielder Douglas Costa from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.
Costa, 24, signed a deal through June 2020 and will wear the No 11 jersey, Bayern said.
“A dream has come true for me today,” said Costa, who will join his new teammates on July 11. “I’m proud to become a player for Bayern, following in the footsteps of so many magnificent Brazilian players.”
Donetsk said Bayern were paying €30 million (Dh122.5m) for the player whose contract with the club ran to 2018.
After joining Shakhtar from Gremio in January 2010, Costa scored 38 goals in 203 matches and helped the side to five consecutive league titles from 2010 to 2014, as well as three Ukrainian Cup wins.
“Douglas Costa will be good for our team,” Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer said. “He has great technical ability, a powerful left foot, he is very agile, and extremely quick.”
Costa can play on either flank and is expected to provide an alternative to injury-prone wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. Ribery will miss the start of the season because of persistent ankle problems.
Costa was part of the Brazil side who disappointed at the Copa America. He missed his spot kick in the 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay in the quarter-finals.
* Associated Press
AFC Bournemouth
Veteran French defender Sylvain Distin signed for Premier League new boys Bournemouth on Wednesday after being released from Everton at the end of last season.
Manager Eddie Howe, leading Bournemouth into the top flight of English football for the first time in their 116-year history, is hopeful Distin’s experience will help inspire his players and be a source of knowledge for the youngsters.
He told the club’s website: “I see Sylvain playing a similar role to the one (defender) Ian Harte played.
“Off the pitch, he is someone the younger players can turn to in times when they need to speak to someone who has seen it and done it.
“Ian was invaluable to us in that respect last season and the season before when he had experience in the Championship and no one else had.
“Sylvain now takes on that role, and on the pitch I still think he has a huge amount to offer.
“He still has his athleticism and is technically very good. We are very pleased to have him.”
Distin has been playing in England since 2001, when he had a spell on loan at Newcastle United, and has also played for Manchester City, Portsmouth and Everton.
He holds the record for the most appearances made by a foreign outfield player in the Premier League, with his total standing at 457 matches.
Bournemouth open their first Premier League campaign with a home match against Aston Villa when the season starts on the weekend of August 8/9.
* Reuters
FC Porto
FC Porto have splashed out €20 million to secure Marseille midfielder Giannelli Imbula on a five-year-deal, the Portuguese club announced on Wednesday.
The deal makes the Belgian-born French player Porto’s second-highest signing after Brazilian striker Hulk’s €22m arrival in 2008.
And it came hours after the sale of Porto’s Colombian striker Jackson Martinez to Atletico Madrid for €35m.
Portuguese media suggest Imbula’s transfer could outstrip Hulk’s when add-ons to the players’s father-cum-agent and his previous club, Guingamp, are taken into account.
For Marseille, Imbula is the latest key player to leave the Velodrome since the south coast club’s fourth-place finish last season.
He follows Dimitri Payet, who moved to West Ham United, Andre Ayew (Swansea City), Jeremy Morel (Lyon) and Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres of Monterrey, Mexico).
* Agence France-Presse
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