Confirmed Transfers (2016/17)

[King Binny]

Glen Driscoll - Celtic (Head of Performance)

[article]CELTIC Football Club today announced the appointment of Glen Driscoll as its new Head of Performance. Glen is hugely experienced and highly rated in his area of expertise and has worked already with new Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and Swansea.

Glen has also spent nine years at Chelsea where he worked with managers such as Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti across the areas of performance, fitness and conditioning, physiotherapy and injury prevention.

Brendan Rodgers said: “Bringing Glen to Celtic is great news for our players who will benefit from the huge breadth of knowledge he has across all areas of performance.

“The experience he will bring to the club will be invaluable to our players and I know he will work very well with the excellent medical and performance staff already at the club.

“Performance, fitness, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation and injury prevention are all crucial elements in the modern game and we will be using Glen’s wide range of skills to ensure we achieve the highest standards across these areas.

“Glen’s talent in this area has been a massive support to me at both Liverpool and Swansea and I know he will deliver great work and great benefits to our players at Celtic.”

Glen added: “I am absolutely delighted to join Celtic, such an iconic name in world football and I am really looking forward to teaming up again with both Brendan and Chris.

“We have some highly talented elite players at the club and my role will be to ensure we give them all we can to achieve any extra edge possible.

“The areas I work in play a huge role ultimately in achieving maximum performance levels, in preventing injury and ensuring a high level of player availability.

“We are looking forward to meeting the squad in the next few weeks. Myself and the other performance staff at Celtic will work together and do all we can to help our players achieve their own objectives as individual athletes and help the team as a whole deliver success to our fans.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Kevin Vogt - Hoffenheim (reportedly €1.5 million)

[article]Kevin Vogt will wear the colours of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim from next season. The 24-year-old defensive midfielder joins the club from Bundesliga rivals 1. FC Köln and has signed a contract keeping him in Kraichgau until 30th June 2020.

The 1.94 meters tall, former U21s international is "already an established Bundesliga player, who has the quality to be an important link between our defence and attack,” according to TSG’s sporting director Alexander Rosen. He can “bring stability to our attacking-minded playing style and his personality will be a good addition to the squad,” said Rosen.

Vogt, who has featured in 111 Bundesliga matches for FC Augsburg and Köln (3 goals, 7 assists), is looking forward to his new challenge. “After some very good discussions with Julian Nagelsmann and Alexander Rosen, I am convinced that the desired playing style at TSG fits very well with my strengths and that I can contribute to further success at the club. I am fully aware of this responsibility. Also, the clubs approach both on and off the pitch made it easy for me to make this decision.”

Before his spells in Augsburg and Cologne, Vogt came through the ranks at VfL Bochum, where he signed his first professional contract as a 17-year old. He played seven times for the Germany U21s national team.[/article]

Miguel Layun - Porto (reportedly €6.5 million + 20% sell on fee)

[article]Porto have confirmed the permanent signing of Watford full-back Miguel Layun.

The Mexico international has spent the season on loan in Portugal and an option to make the move permanent this summer was in place.

Porto, who paid the Hornets a loan fee of €500,000, have opted to sign Layun for €6million in two instalments.

The Portuguese club released a statement which said: "The Mexican was on loan from Watford, but our club reached an agreement with the English club. If Layún was already a player in the style of Porto, now [he] will have [a] contract with Porto."

But there is speculation Layun could be sold on for a profit to Real Madrid this summer.

Watford have a 20 per cent sell-on clause if Layun is sold by Porto for a fee exceeding €6.5million.

Layun featured in 41 games for Porto scoring six goals as the side finished third in the Primeira Liga.

His final appearance of the season came on Sunday in the Portuguese Cup final where Porto were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Braga after a 2-2 draw. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Antonio Rudiger - Roma (€9 million + add ons up to €500k)

[article]AS Roma have signed German defender Antonio Rudiger on a long-term contract until 2020, making permanent his loan move from VfB Stuttgart for a fee of nine million euros ($10.02 million), the Italian club said on Tuesday (www.www.asroma.com).

The deal also includes additional payment of 500,000 euros, depending on specific sporting clauses.

The 23-year old joined the Italian club on a one-year loan deal in September for an initial fee of four million euros and has made 30 appearances in Serie A.

Rudiger is currently training with the Germany squad ahead of the European Championship in France.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Steve Weaver - Huddersfield (Academy Manager)

[article]Huddersfield Town has today appointed Steve Weaver as the Club’s new Academy Manager.

Steve brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role having worked in youth development for the majority of the past 25 years and will be tasked with leading the Huddersfield Town Academy into the 2016/17 season and beyond.

A holder of the UEFA Pro License and the Advanced Youth Award, Steve worked for almost six years as a Development Coach at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he was appointed to bridge the gap between Under-21 and First Team football.

Beforehand, Steve had spent 20 years at Wrexham, where he turned to coaching after his playing days were cut short by injury. He was Head of Youth at the Club between 2002 and 2007, having previously worked as Assistant Academy Director and Centre of Excellence Director. During his time at the Racecourse Ground, Steve worked alongside Town’s current Head of Football Operations Stuart Webber.

Weaver has also worked in the Professional Development phase (16-18 year-olds) at Manchester City, as a scout at both Ipswich Town and Blackburn Rovers and as a part-time Coach Educator for the English and Welsh Football Associations.

Huddersfield Town’s Head of Football Operations Stuart Webber commented:

“I’m very happy to welcome Steve to Huddersfield Town in what is a very important appointment for the Club.

“Steve brings vast experience of what it takes to develop young footballers to play at First Team level at a vital time for our Academy. He’s a man I know well from our time together at Wrexham and I believe his knowledge and methods will really add to the Club.

“There’s nothing that makes fans and staff prouder than seeing local, home-grown footballers succeed on the First Team stage and we must do everything we can to make our Academy model work for this Club. Steve will look at all areas of the Academy, from top to bottom, as we try to bring it to a higher level.

“As the Chairman has stated recently, we need the Academy to make a big contribution in order to justify its means, which ultimately means producing players for our First Team. Together with Steve, we will clarify exactly what we want the Academy to achieve and how we will do it.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Mircea Lucescu - Zenit St Petersburg (Manager)

[article]An agreement between the Romanian maestro and the blue-white-sky blues has been reached with a two year deal, including the possibility to extend it for a further year.

Lucescu was born on the 29th July 1945 in Bucharest, Romania. In 1979, he started his managerial career at Korvinul from the city of Hunedoara, before going on to work with the Romanian national team, Dinamo Bucharest, Pisa, Brescia and Reggiani in Italy, before going back to Romania with Rapid Bucarest where he had two spells. With Inter Milan and Turkish side Galatasaray and Besiktas making up his managerial club list before heading to Eastern Ukraine.

From 2004 to 2016 Lucescu managed Shakhtar Donetsk and under his direction the miners won 8 championships of Ukraine, 6 national cups, 7 super cups and 1 UEFA Cup. In total the Romanian has won 32 trophies, including the championship in three countries (Romania, Turkey and Ukraine) and two European titles, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

Zenit wish to welcome Mircea Lucescu to St. Petersburg and wish Mircea many new victories with the blue-white-sky blues!

Bun venit, Mister! [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Owen Coyle - Blackburn (Manager)

[article]Blackburn Rovers are delighted to announce that Owen Coyle has been appointed as the club's new manager.

The former Burnley and Bolton Wanderers boss takes charge at Ewood Park after putting pen-to-paper on a two-year-deal.

Coyle will work alongside assistant manager Alan Irvine and first team coach Rob Kelly.

Owen Coyle said: "First and foremost I'm absolutely thrilled and honoured to be Blackburn Rovers manager and I look forward to working with terrific people at the club.

"The ultimate aim is to give a team that is representative of the fans, a team that is entertaining and hard working, and a team that can win."

Rovers Director Mike Cheston said: "We are delighted to welcome Owen to the club. We took our time and conducted a thorough search and Owen was the standout candidate.

"He brings with him a wealth of management experience, a strong track record in the Championship and we believe he will complement our existing coaching staff perfectly.

"He meets all of the criteria we were looking for and we firmly believe he is the right man to take this club forward."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Nuno Santo - Porto (Head Coach)

[article]Porto have announced that former Valencia and Rio Ave manager Nuno Espirito Santo has returned to the club as their new head coach.

Former goalkeeper Nuno spent three years at the club between 2007-2010, winning 13 trophies.

Nuno has signed a two-year contract with Porto, who finished third in 2015-16, succeeding Jose Peseiro as manager.

He said on the club's official website: "This is a moment of great excitement, joy and honour, to be here and feel that I was the person FC Porto trusted to be the coach for the next season.

"I believe this isn't the time for promises, but for guarantees. I'm someone who follows convictions, and I firmly believe that we can win all the time. I assure all the fans that, with work and union, we can get we all want, which is winning."

He added: "From now on, there's only one thing on my mind: work. I'm already working, along with the rest of the staff, aware that the 28th will signal the start, as our players return, the men we trust and believe in. By then, we'll help them recover that feeling of being Porto.

"To be Porto is to win, it's nothing but walking out of the stadium with the certainty that you did everything you could and you won."[/article]

 

[binomial]

Porto and Zenit have appointed good coaches.

 

[King Binny]

Ron-Robert Zieler - Leicester (undisclosed fee, reportedly £3 million)

[article]Leicester City have moved to bolster their goalkeeping options with the addition of Germany international Ron-Robert Zieler from Bundesliga side Hannover 96.

The 27-year-old shot stopper joins for an undisclosed fee and has put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal to keep him at King Power Stadium until 2020.

Zieler told Foxes Player HD: “It feels great coming to Leicester and joining the Club after they’ve had such a great season – it’s really nice to be part of the Club now.

“I’ve been shown around the training ground and it looks very good and I’ve been to the stadium – I heard about the great atmosphere and the great fans, so my first impression is very good.”

Zieler adds significant experience to the Leicester City squad as they begin both the defence of their Premier League title as well as a first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign in 2016/17.

Not only does Zieler boast more than 200 appearances for Hannover in Germany, as well as in the Europa League, he was also part of Joachim Löw’s Germany squad that won the FIFA World Cup in 2014.

The Cologne-born ‘keeper has six Germany caps to his name, having made his debut in 2011 and has also won the UEFA Euro U-19 Championship with his country.

Domestically he has been an ever-present in Hannover 96’s previous five Bundesliga campaigns, but Zieler’s career actually began in England.

He joined the Manchester United academy in 2005, where he played alongside current City players Danny Drinkwater, Matty James, Danny Simpson and Ritchie De Laet.

Despite not appearing for the first team at Old Trafford, the goalkeeper did take in a two-game loan spell with Northampton Town during the 2008/09 League 1 campaign before eventually joining Hannover on a free transfer in the summer of 2010.

Zieler’s performances in Germany helped Hannover 96 to four impressive top-10 finishes during his first four seasons with the club, including a run to the Europa League Quarter-Final in 2011/12, when they went out to eventual winners Atletico Madrid.

Zieler will join up with his Foxes team-mates when they return to training in July, ahead of an exciting pre-season schedule which includes International Champions Cup matches against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Aston Villa - Roberto Di Matteo (Manager)

[article]ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB is pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto Di Matteo as our new manager.

The 46-year-old joins the Club following previous spells as manager of Milton Keynes Dons, West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea and Bundesliga side Schalke 04.

He successfully guided West Bromwich Albion to promotion to the Premier League in 2010 and led Chelsea to an FA Cup Final triumph and the highest accolade in club football - the Champions League title in 2012.

Roberto said: "It's a wonderful honour for me to become manager of this great football club and I'm looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Villa back to its rightful place."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Caner Erkin - Inter Milan (free transfer)

[article]Caner Erkin is Inter's latest signing. The Turkish defender, out of contract at Fenerbahce, joins the Nerazzurri club on a three-year contract starting from 1 July 2016. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Marc Bartra - Dortmund (€8 million)

[article]FC Barcelona announce that German club Borussia Dortmund have informed them of their desire to activate the buy out clause for the player Marc Bartra, according to which the Club is obliged to facilitate the transfer of the player for the price of 8 million euros.

Marc Bartra arrived at the Club at the age of 12 and is a fine representative of the values embodied by la Masia, both as a player and as a person. The defender has spent more than half his life at FC Barcelona and with the first team he won five league titles, two Champions Leagues, two Copa del Rey, two European Super Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and one Club World Cup.

FC Barcelona wish Marc Bartra all the best in his new phase of his career as a player and he will be invited to say goodbye to the fans personally at the start of next season.

After coming through the youth ranks at FC Barcelona where he arrived at the age of 12, Marc Bartra eventually made his way to the Barça first team. The lad from Sant Jaume dels Domenys made his debut on 14 February 2010 under the orders of Pep Guardiola in the Vicente Calderón against Atlético Madrid. That was his only appearance of the campaign but the next season he began to establish himself before finally cementing his place in the squad in 2012/13. He played 16 games under Tito Vilanova that year and the following season that number rose to 30, scoring two goals in the process. In the last two seasons he brought his total number of appearances to 103.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Gary Monk - Leeds United (Head Coach)

[article]We are delighted to announce the appointment of Garry Monk as the new Leeds United head coach.

Monk, the former manager of Premier League side Swansea City, penned a one-year rolling contract at Elland Road on Thursday morning and will now begin first-team preparations for the 2016/17 season.

The 37-year-old, who played in all four of English football’s professional divisions during his time at the Liberty Stadium, arrives in West Yorkshire with a reputation as one of Britain’s brightest young coaches.

Monk told leedsunited.com : “It feels great to be here. I’m extremely honoured to join Leeds United Football Club – we all know the history of the club and the standing it has in English football.

“I feel really honoured to be here and I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“The passion of the fans, the history and the ambition of the owner all ties in with what I wanted to do.

“I want to be challenged and really get my teeth into a big project. That was the underlying factor throughout the whole process and that’s the reason why I’m here today.

“This is definitely the right challenge for me and I’m really happy to be here.”

United chairman Massimo Cellino added: “I’m very pleased to welcome Garry Monk to Leeds United.

“Garry is part of a new generation of coaches in England and has a lot of potential to develop, which is something we were targeting for the new season.

“I believe he’s very suited to continuing the growth of our young and improving team. He will bring new strengths and a lot of energy to the squad.

“He was a fighter as a player and now he’s the same as a manager - as we saw when he did very well at Swansea City. I feel he can really bring the best out of the team.

“It is a big challenge but Garry is very determined and he trusts himself with this job – he really wanted to come here. That is something which has impressed me a lot.

“We have chosen to take on the challenge together and we are focused on achieving our goals in the new season.”

A centre-back throughout his playing days, Monk captained the Swans during their rise from League Two to the Premier League and lifted the Capital One Cup at Wembley along the way.

The Bedford-born defender made his first foray into management in February 2014, stepping in as interim player-manager for the remainder of the Premier League campaign and successfully securing the Swans’ top-flight status.

Such was his impact in charge, Swansea were prompted into giving Monk the job on a permanent basis and secured his services on a three-year deal ahead of his 11th season of association with the Welsh club.

Monk, August 2014’s Premier League Manager of the Month, then guided the Swans to a highest-ever finish of eighth place and a record points total of 56 in his first full season as manager.

He was rewarded with another three-year deal last summer and his Swansea side made an encouraging start to the 2015/16 campaign, only for a dip in form heading towards the winter months to result in his departure from the Liberty Stadium last December.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Ilkay Gundogan - Man City (£19.3million plus add ons)

[article]City are delighted to announce the signing of Ilkay Gundogan.

German international Gundogan joins City from Borussia Dortmund on a four-year deal.

A creative, technically proficient midfielder, the 25-year old can operate anywhere in the middle of the park and will give incoming manager Pep Guardiola plenty of options.

“I’m thrilled to have signed for Manchester City,” said Gundogan. “When I learned of City’s interest my heart was set on coming here and things have moved very quickly.

“I have loved my time with Borussia Dortmund and I would like to thank the club and the supporters for the five very happy years I spent there.

“They gave me a platform to play on and I became a better player because of the belief, patience and trust they showed in me.

“Now I have a new challenge and that is to achieve great things with City. The opportunity to work with a coach like Pep Guardiola is something I am really looking forward to and I am flattered to be the first signing the Club has made this summer.

“I can promise the City fans I will give everything to help us win titles both in England and the Champions League. These are exciting times.

“I have my best years ahead of me and I think we can achieve great things together. I can’t wait to begin this new chapter in my career.”

The 25 year-old midfielder made 157 appearances over the past five seasons for Borussia Dortmund and has won 16 caps for Germany, scoring four goals.

City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain added: “Ilkay is an excellent addition to our team and we are delighted to have him on board.

“He is an intelligent and versatile midfielder who can operate in a number of different roles. I think our supporters will enjoy his work ethic and technical ability and I believe he will be a very important player for us in the coming years.”

Born in Gelsenkirchen, he started out with local side Schalke 04’s youth team, moving on to SV Gelsenkirchen-Hessler 06 where he spent five years and then had a further year at SVV Buer.

Aged 15, he signed for Vfl Bochum, making his senior debut during the 2008/09 campaign. A couple more appearances for Bochum’s second team followed before he moved to FC Nurnberg, clocking up 53 starts between 2009 and 2011.

Gundogan’s talents then caught the eye of Borussia Dortmund boss Jürgen Klopp.

During his first year at the Westfalenstadion, he was an integral member of the side that won the Bundesliga and German Cup, playing 36 times and scoring four goals.

In his second campaign, Ilkay helped Dortmund reach the Champions League final at Wembley, scoring his side’s only goal from the penalty spot as Klopp’s men lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich.

A back injury kept him side-lined for the majority of the 2013/14 season but he returned to have excellent campaigns – perhaps his best yet – in 2014/15 and 2015/16.

Gundogan is recovering well from the knee injury which ruled him out of this summer’s Euro 2016.[/article]

Bruno Alves - Cagliari (free transfer)

[article]Newly promoted Cagliari have signed veteran Portugal defender Bruno Alves on a two-year contract.

Alves, 34, who won four league titles with Porto before spending time with Zenit St Petersburg and Fenerbahce, will play Serie A football next term after the Sardinians won the second-tier title.

A statement on Cagliari's official website announced 85-cap Alves, who is in Portugal's Euro 2016 squad, had committed to the Rossoblu cause until June 30, 2018.

"Bruno Alves has signed a contract to tie him to Cagliari until June 30, 2018,"

"The Rossoblu have ensured the presence on the pitch of a real warrior, who is used to facing the toughest strikers in the world and will asset great aggressiveness, personality, technique, and boundless physical power."[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Joel Coleman - Huddersfield (undisclosed fee)

[article]Huddersfield Town has today completed the signing of goalkeeper Joel Coleman from Sky Bet League 1 club Oldham Athletic.

The 20 year-old ‘keeper joins for an undisclosed fee and has put pen to paper on a three year contract, with the Club having the option on a fourth season.

Standing at 6’ 6” tall, Coleman has played nearly 50 games for the Latics ahead of his arrival since breaking into the First Team setup in March 2015.

Bolton-born Joel came through the youth setup at Boundary Park having joined as an 11 year-old. He was part of the Under-18 side that won the Lancashire FA Youth Cup before turning professional in June 2014, signing a two year contract.

Joel’s debut followed on 18 March 2015, when he replaced Jake Kean as a 57th minute substitute in a Sky Bet League 1 game at home to Milton Keynes Dons. His full debut followed three days later, when he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Crewe Alexandra. Another clean sheet followed, earning him the Club’s March 2015 ‘Player of the Month’ accolade.

Joel displaced Kean from the team and finished that season with 10 starts and one substitute appearance, which he built on as a regular in the Latics’ League 1 campaign last term. He will arrive at the John Smith’s Stadium with a total of 44 League 1 and FA Cup starts under his belt, during which he has kept 17 clean sheets.

Oldham Athletic took the Club option to extend his contract into the 2016/17 season, meaning Coleman moves to Town for an undisclosed fee.

Huddersfield Town’s Head Coach David Wagner commented:

“Recruiting goalkeepers has been a big priority for the Club in this transfer window due to Jed Steer’s return to Aston Villa and Joe Murphy’s injury. Joel’s arrival is an important part of this at First Team level.

“Joel will arrive at the Club to challenge for the number one position and with potential to develop into a fantastic goalkeeper. It is unusual for a goalkeeper aged 20 to have Joel’s First Team experience and he has shown lots of potential in his performances for Oldham, which we have watched closely.

“Obviously a goalkeeper must be excellent at the fundamentals of the position first - keeping the ball out of the net – but Joel’s ability with the ball at his feet is also ideal for our style of play.

“We’re all excited at working with Joel on the training pitch and in games for the next three years, at least.”[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Filippo Inzaghi - Venezia (Head Coach)

[article]Former Milan Coach Filippo Inzaghi has been officially confirmed as the new Venezia boss.

It was reported earlier today that the former striker had been appointed by the Lega Pro side, and that has now been confirmed on the Lagunari’s official website.

“Venezia FC announces that it has reached an agreement with Filippo Inzaghi for the technical guidance of the first team,” the club announced.

“The agreement will be formalised on July 1 with the signing of Inzaghi and his staff with the Arancioneroverde.”

Inzaghi will be officially presented as the new Coach on Wednesday June 8, having received special dispensation from Milan to do so before his Rossoneri contract ends.[/article]

Fabio Cannavaro - Tianjin Quanjian (Head Coach)

[article]Fabio Cannavaro will return to China to coach Tianjin Quanjian FC, the official Xinhua news agency said Tuesday on its Twitter account.

The former Italy defender, who captained his country to World Cup victory in 2006, has already got Chinese experience under his belt following a one-year stint as coach of Guangzhou Evergrande that ended last summer.

He went on to manage Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in Riyadh, but was sacked from his role in February for “bad results” just four months after taking charge.

Cannavaro, who won the Ballon d’Or 10 years ago, had signed a deal to keep him in the Saudi capital until the end of the season, but he left the side 18 points off the top spot and with their title defence in tatters.

Xinhua did not specify when the Italian would begin his new Tianjin post. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Sebastian Rode - Dortmund (undisclosed fee, reportedly €13 million)

[article]Borussia Dortmund have completed another new signing ahead of the upcoming Bundesliga season. Sebastian Rode is moving to Dortmund from FC Bayern München. The 25-year old midfielder signed a four-year contract until 30 June 2020 after undergoing a medical check today.

„Sebastian Rode is a dynamic and tough-tackling player with an extremely valuable character. We are very pleased to have secured his services,“ said Borussia Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc.

Sebastian Rode has 99 appearances and five goals in the Bundesliga to his name for Eintracht Frankfurt (2010-2014, 94 appearances in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, scoring 4 goals) and FC Bayern München (2014–2016, 38 appearances/3 goals). He started his career at his local youth side Viktoria Griesheim before moving to Kicker Offenbach via SV Darmstadt 98 in summer 2008, where he made his debut in the third division. Rode turned out for Germany at every youth level from under-18 to under-21 (12 appearances, one goal).

„I've been a BVB fan since a child and am therefore delighted that a transfer to my favourite club worked out. Thomas Tuchel is a fantastic coach and I also know many of teammates as very strong characters and extremely great players. I am looking forward to the new challenge and my first home game in black and yellow at the Signal Iduna Park", said Rode.

Sebastian Rode has a reputation as a robust and aggressive yet fair style of play. In his 99 Bundesliga appearances, he has only received 19 yellow cards.

Both clubs agreed not to disclose details of the transfer fee.
[/article]

Emre Mor - Dortmund (undisclosed fee, reportedly €9.5 million)

[article]Borussia Dortmund are set to complete the signing of another rising star in 18-year-old Emre Mor. The Turkey international has put pen to paper on a five-year deal after agreeing to move from Danish top-tier side FC Nordsjaelland.

"Emre Mor is an incredibly gifted and versatile young attacking player with huge potential," said Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc.

Born and raised in Denmark, but possessing a Turkish passport, Mor made 13 appearances in the Danish Superligaen last season, scoring twice and setting up a further two goals. After making a non-appearance off the bench against England, the youngster made his international debut in the build-up to UEFA EURO 2016 featuring against both Montenegro and Slovenia. Mor joins fellow BVB midfielder Nuri Şahin in Turkey's 23-man squad for the competition, but is eagerly anticipating taking another step forward in his career under Thomas Tuchel.

"BVB are an exceptional club in Europe with a unique fan base," said Mor. "I'm really looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and I can hardly wait for the start of the season and making my first appearance for Borussia.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Yusuf Mersin - Crawley Town

[article]Reds are delighted to confirm the signing of goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin on a two-year contract.

Yusuf, 21, joins us from Turkish Premier League club Kasimpasa, where he was last season after joining them from Liverpool.

The 6ft 5in former Turkey Under-17 and Under-18 international from London began his career at Millwall before joining Liverpool’s Academy in 2010. While at Anfield, he played for the club’s under-18s and under-21s.

Head Coach Dermot Drummy said: “Yusuf has a tremendous pedigree in youth football and went from Millwall to Liverpool for a very substantial compensation fee.

“Things didn’t work out for him in Turkey as he'd have hoped but he got some valuable experience. He is a London boy and is delighted to be back in England. I think he’s probably got a point to prove.

“He’s in superb shape physically and he’s desperate to get started. We are going to have three goalkeepers, including Yusuf and Glenn Morris, at the club next season and competition for the shirt is going to be very intense, which is want not just in that position but all over the squad.”[/article]

 

[binomial]

Dortmund are relentless this window.

 

[King Binny]

Dortmund are relentless this window.

Yeah. They secured Spain youth international Mikel Merino from Osasuna back in Feb too.

 

[King Binny]

Simon Makienok - Preston North End (loan)

[article]Preston North End can confirm the signing of striker Simon Makienok on a one-year loan from Palermo.

The loan will start on 1st July 2016, and the 25-year-old becomes North End's second signing of the summer after securing the signature of goalkeeper Chris Maxwell last month.

Makienok comes to the Club with Championship experience after spending the 2015/16 season on loan at Charlton Athletic.

The striker has spent most of his career to date in Denmark, before moving to Italian club Palermo in 2014.

Before his move to Serie A, Makienok scored 35 goals in 74 appearances for Brondby in the Danish Superliga.

Makienok also represented Denmark at youth level from the U19s, and has gone on to make six appearances for the senior side.

Speaking of the latest addition to his squad, PNE manager Simon Grayson said: "I am delighted to add Simon Makienok to our striking options at the Club. His height, plus of course his international experience, brings us a different dimension to the squad and provides us further options at the top end of the pitch."

Preston North End would like to welcome Simon to the Club and thank Palermo for their assistance in making this loan happen.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Eric Bailly - Man United (reportedly £30 million)

[article]Manchester United is delighted to announce that Eric Bertrand Bailly has completed his transfer from Villarreal CF, subject to successfully obtaining a work permit. Eric joins on a four-year contract with the option to extend for a further two years.

Bailly, 22, made 47 appearances for Villarreal since joining on 29 January 2015. The Ivory Coast central defender has made 15 appearances for his country and was part of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team, having appeared in all six matches during the competition.

Bailly said: "It is a dream come true to be joining Manchester United. To play football at the highest level is all I have ever wanted to do.

"I want to progress to be the best that I can be and I believe working with Jose Mourinho will help me develop in the right way and at the right club. I am looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to starting this new chapter of my life."

Mourinho said: "Eric is a young central defender with great natural talent. He has progressed well to date and has the potential to become one of the best around.

"We look forward to working with him to help nurture that raw talent and fulfil his potential. Eric is at the right club to continue his development."[/article]

Christoph Kramer - Borussia Mönchengladbach (reportedly €15 million)

[article]Borussia have signed Christoph Kramer from Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The 25-year-old midfielder completed his medical in Mönchengladbach on Wednesday and signed a five-year deal (until June 2021).

Christoph Kramer joins Borussia from Bayer Leverkusen. The midfielder signed a five-year deal on Wednesday. "We unfortunately had to allow Christoph to return to Leverkusen a year ago and are now even more delighted that we can bring him back to Borussia," said sporting director Max Eberl. "He knows our team, he knows the club and, with his experience and personality, he will play an important role in our young team."

Kramer, who will wear number 6, previously spent two spells on loan with Borussia and featured in 73 competitive games (five goals). After his loan move in summer 2013, he became a regular. He played 33 Bundesliga games in his first season and scored three goals. Thanks to his impressive performances, he was called up to the Germany World Cup squad, where the team were crowned world champions in Brazil. Kramer was also deployed in central midfield in his second season with the club and made 39 competitive appearances (2 goals) - 30 of these were in the Bundesliga, six in the Europa League and two in the DFB Cup.

The midfielder began his career at SV Gräfrath and moved to Bayer Leverkusen's youth set-up when he was just eight years old. After a two-year spell with Fortuna Düsseldorf, Kramer returned to Leverkusen in 2008. The midfielder became a regular for Bayer's U23s and played 26 Regionalliga games in the 2010/2011 season. Kramer moved on loan to VfL Bochum for the following two seasons, netting four goals in 61 second-division games. After his two years in Mönchengladbach, Kramer returned to Leverkusen. He made 44 competitive appearances for Bayer last term (28 in the Bundesliga, 12 in European competitions, 4 in the DFB Cup). The midfielder has made 12 international appearances for Germany to date, previously featuring on nine occasions for the U20 and U19 sides.[/article]

 

[binomial]

Very surprised bayer got rid of Kramer.

 

[King Binny]

Jannik Vestergaard - Borussia Monchengladbach (reportedly €10 million)

[article]Jannik Vestergaard's move from SV Werder Bremen to Borussia has been completed. The 23-year-old central defender underwent his medical and signed a five-year contract (until June 2021) in Mönchengladbach on Friday.

At his former clubs, 1899 Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen, Vestergaard has made a total of 129 Bundesliga and 15 DFB Cup appearances to date. He has also received eight international caps for Denmark. "Despite his young age, Jannik will play an important role in our defence due to his experience and physical presence," said sporting director Max Eberl. "We're delighted that he has decided to join Borussia and that we've managed to sign him."

Jannik Vestergaard already has a direct family link to VfL because his cousin Mika Schröers currently plays for Borussia's U14s. His family generally boasts great footballing prowess. Mika's father, so Jannik's uncle, Jan Schröers, played in Germany's youth set-up and was crowned U19 champion with Bayer Uerdingen in 1987. His grandfather Hannes also played for Bayer in the 1960s as well as representing both Fortuna Düsseldorf and West Ham United.

Born in the Hvidovre municipality in Copenhagen, Jannik grew up in the centre of the Danish capital and started out playing football at Vestia BK before quickly moving on to the better-known club BK Frem. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Københavns Boldklub. However, it didn't go smoothly for him at the oldest club outside of Great Britain. In his first year for the U17s, Vestergaard had a major growth spurt and struggled to cope with the situation. During this period, he was often used as a substitute and he therefore decided to link up with traditional Danish club Brøndby IF in his second year at U17 level.

He stayed at the club for two and a half years and developed into a youth international for Denmark. Shortly after being awarded the "Arlas talentpris" for best Danish U19 player, Vestergaard moved abroad for the first time in summer 2010 and joined 1899 Hoffenheim. He initially started out playing for the U23s in Kraichgau but the towering defender went on to greater challenges in a short space of time. His strong aerial ability and good build-up play paved the way for him to progress to the first-team squad. The central defender celebrated his Bundesliga debut in the 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on 16th April 2011. That was the first of his 82 Bundesliga games (6 goals) for Hoffenheim. Vestergaard moved to SV Werder Bremen in the 2014/15 winter break, where he immediately developed into a top performer. He made a total of 38 top-flight appearances for Bremen and scored three goals.

Vestergaard regularly featured for Denmark's U18s and played 28 times for the U21s. He was handed his debut for the senior team in a friendly against Poland (1-2) on 14th August 2013 and has eight caps to date. His first competitive game for Denmark came in the European Championship play-off return leg against Sweden on 17th November 2015. He was substituted on in the 84th minute and scored his only international goal to date in added time.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Quique Sanchez Flores - Espanyol (Head Coach)

[article]Quique Sánchez Flores has been named as the new head coach of Espanyol. Flores has joined the La Liga club on a three-year contract, having left Watford at the end of the season.

“This is consolidating the beginning of Espanyol’s sports project in this new and exciting stage for all our fans,” said Espanyol’s sporting director, Angel Gómez. “In the next few days the club will confirm Sánchez Flores’ staff.“

Flores’s coaching career includes spells as Getafe, Valencia, Benfica and Atlético Madrid, for whom he won the Europa League. The 51-year-old took Watford to the FA Cup semi-finals and a respectable finish in the Premier League but parted company with the club at the end of the season.

Flores replaces the Romanian Constantin Galca, who left the club last month after only five months in charge.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Jaroslav Drobny - Werder Bremen (free transfer)

[article]Goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny has joined SV Werder Bremen. The 36-year-old has moved to the Green-Whites from Hamburger SV and has signed a contract until 30.06.2017. Sporting director Frank Baumann confirmed the news on Wednesday afternoon. The former Czech Republic international completed his medical in Bremen earlier in the day.

“We’ve signed an experienced keeper in Jaroslav Drobny. He has already shown on many occasions that he can be relied upon and is 100 percent ready. The team will also profit from his character away from the pitch,” said Baumann.

After spells in the Czech Republic, Greece, England and in the Netherlands, Jaroslav Drobny has been in Germany since 2007. He has played for VfL Bochum, Hertha BSC and most recently, Hamburger SV. The former Czech Republic international (nine caps), who, amongst other things, took part in EURO 2012, has made 190 Bundesliga apps, featured in 11 DFB Cup ties and played on 14 occasions in European competitions. Drobny played in ten Bundesliga games last season. [/article]

 

[King Binny]

Bruno Gama - Deportivo'

Pablo Sarabia - Sevilla (reportedly €1 million)

[article]Sevilla have reached an agreement in principle to sign midfielder Pablo Sarabia from Getafe on a four-year deal, the Spanish clubs announced on Thursday.

Sarabia, 24, will have a medical on Friday before signing his contract, according to Sevilla.

The former Real Madrid Castilla player moved from Getafe for a fee just under €1 million following reported interested from Valencia.

He scored 15 times in 145 appearances for Getafe over five seasons.[/article]

Gary O'Neil - Bristol City (free transfter)

[article]City have agreed to sign Gary O’Neil from Norwich City.

The 33-year-old is out of contract at Carrow Road this summer and has opted to leave Norwich, who are expected to challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League, in favour of a move to BS3.

O’Neil boasts an impressive CV with over 400 league appearances to his name in the top two divisions, including more than 200 in the Premier League, also winning promotion to the top flight four times with four different clubs.

The midfielder has penned a two-year deal at Ashton Gate.

City head coach Johnson said: “Gary is a really good signing for us, who adds everything we need to our midfield.

“He’s very experienced, having won promotion from the Championship on four occasions. He may have just turned 33, but he’s still fully mobile and very fit.

“He’s a really good decision maker who can be a coach’s eyes and ears on the pitch, whilst also adding value to our younger players by helping us to manage games tactically – both in and out of possession.

“It’s important for us to get the balance right between youth and experience, and he’s a fantastic character to have around the club. I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with him.”

O’Neil has been playing senior football since the age of 16, when he made his debut for Portsmouth.

After progressing through the ranks at Fratton Park, he went on to make 192 appearances for the South Coast club and won the Player of the Year award in 2005/06.

Having captained Pompey and England Under-21s, O’Neil became skipper again at his next club, Middlesbrough, where he continued to ply his trade in the top flight.

The Londoner then tasted Championship play-off success three times in four seasons with West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers and Norwich, following his maiden promotion at Portsmouth as a teenager.

O’Neil played 27 times in the Premier League last season and captained the Canaries on several occasions.[/article]

Juanmi - Real Sociedad (reportedly €4 million)

[article]Southampton Football Club can confirm that Juanmi has completed a permanent move to Real Sociedad for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old signed for Saints last summer, moving to St Mary’s from Spanish club Málaga.

The Spain forward made two starts and 17 substitute appearances during his time on the south coast.

He now returns to La Liga, joining a Sociedad side that finished ninth in the table last season.

Southampton Football Club would like to thank Juanmi for his time at the club and wish him well for the future.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Nathan - Vitesse Arnhem (loan)

[article]Nathan will return to Vitesse Arnhem and spend the 2016/17 season on loan at the Dutch club.

The Brazilian midfielder joined us from Atletico Paranaense last July and was loaned to Vitesse for the 2015/16 campaign. He made 19 appearances, scoring twice.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Phil Parkinson - Bolton (First Team Manager)

[article]Bolton Wanderers Football Club are delighted to announce Phil Parkinson as the club’s new first team manager.

Parkinson, 48, joins Bolton from fellow Sky Bet League One club Bradford City, after the two clubs agreed a compensation package.

Chorley-born, Parkinson already has two promotions on his managerial CV. During the 2005/06 season he guided Colchester United to an unlikely promotion to the Championship before later taking Bradford City to League One via the play-offs in 2012/13.

As a player, Parkinson started his career at Southampton before going on to represent Bury and Reading.

He has signed a two-year contract with the club and will be joined by assistant manager Steve Parkin in making the move to Macron Stadium.[/article]

 

[King Binny]

Russell Slade - Charlton (Manager)

[article]Charlton Athletic are delighted to announce the appointment of Russell Slade as the club’s new Manager.

The 55-year-old joins the Addicks from his role as Head of Football at Cardiff City and has signed a three-year contract at The Valley.

Slade said: “I am very pleased to be appointed manager of Charlton, a club with a fantastic tradition and history.

"I was attracted to Charlton as it has has great facilities, passionate fans and a very successful academy. This is a hugely exciting opportunity and I cannot wait to get started.”

Charlton CEO Katrien Meire added: “We’re delighted to have agreed terms with Russell.

"We don’t underestimate the challenge of getting Charlton back into the Championship.We believe Russell is the man to help us achieve this and, with the help of everyone involved in the club, ensure that Charlton have a successful 2016/17 campaign.

“Russell has vast experience in the division and is a two-time League One Manager of The Year. He joins us as Manager on a long-term contract and his appointment represents the start of an exciting new era at the club under his guidance.”

Slade’s managerial career has spanned over 20 years and has seen him take charge of almost 800 matches in professional football.

After enjoying two spells at Sheffield United and one at Notts County as caretaker manager, he landed his first permanent role at Scarborough.

Upon joining the Gulls, they were cut adrift at the bottom of the Conference, but a stunning turnaround saw them record 39 points from their final 19 league matches to achieve safety.

His next two roles saw him take over at Grimsby Town and then Yeovil Town, where he guided them to the League Two and League One play-offs respectively.

Slade was tasked with leading Brighton & Hove Albion to third-tier safety in 2009, a feat that he achieved, and he then moved to the capital to join Leyton Orient a year later.

During his 242-game spell with the O’s, he transformed them from a relegation-threatened side to promotion challengers - reaching the League One play-off final in 2014. He won 103 matches while in charge and possesses the highest win percentage of any manager in Orient’s history.

The Wokingham-born boss’s most recent venture saw him take over at Cardiff City in 2014 where, in two seasons at the helm in Wales, he guided them to 11th and eighth-placed finishes in the Championship. [/article]