Bastia deal for Mba collapses
Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side, Warri Wolves, have rejected an offer from French Ligue 2 outfit, CA Bastia to sign Sunday Mba.In spite of CA Bastia unveiling the Afcon hero and handing him a squad number, Warri Wolves moved to quash the deal which did not meet their financial terms.CA Bastia offered Warri Wolves €250,000 for the 24-year-old Nigerian international.The French club also disclosed in the contract terms that they will pay the €250,000 in three instalments which will be spread across 2014 and 2015.CA Bastia promised an initial €50,000 payment on January 31, 2014 while the second payment of €100,000 will be on July 31, 2014.The Ligue 2 side stated in the contract statement dated August 31 that the final payment of the €250,000 transfer fee will be another €100,000 on January 31, 2015.The Corsican club promised to pay another €100,000 should they gain promotion to Ligue 1 "at the end of the sports season 2013-2014 or 2014-2015."Wolves rejected the terms outright and pulled out of discussions, according to a club official."The offer has been rejected and there will be no deal between us and them for Sunday Mba," said the Warri Wolves official to supersport.com.Mba is already back in Nigeria and will join up with the Super Eagles' camp in Calabar for this Saturday's 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying against the Flame of Malawi.
Arsenal get Ozil, United sign Fellaini
Arsenal smashed their transfer record by luring German playmaker Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid on Monday, while Manchester United made a late move to sign Marouane Fellaini from Everton.Our Transfer Deadline Day as it happenedAmid dizzying activity in the closing hours of the close-season transfer window, Arsenal grabbed the headlines with a sensational swoop for Ozil worth a reported fee of £42.4 million.The move came on the day that Gareth Bale was presented as a Madrid player after leaving Arsenal's arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of around £80 million, paving the way for Ozil's exit.Arsenal said Ozil had signed a "long-term contract," with a reported duration of five years, after he underwent a medical examination in Munich."We are extremely pleased to have signed Mesut Ozil," said long-serving Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who had come under pressure from the club's fans to deliver a major signing."We have watched and admired him for some time as he has all the attributes I look for in an Arsenal player."Ozil told the Arsenal website: "I am thrilled to be joining a club of the stature of Arsenal and am looking forward to playing in the Premier League."Arsenal, who had never previously spent more than £15 million on a player, also announced the signing of 27-year-old Italy international goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from Palermo on a season-long loan.Ozil's transfer was the most significant development on a day when gross spending by Premier League clubs during the close-season transfer window surpassed £500 million for the first time, according to financial consultants Deloitte.After a frustrating first summer as United manager, David Moyes brought in Belgian midfielder Fellaini, with whom he worked at Everton, in a deal worth £27.5 million."Manchester United is delighted to announce the signing of Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini from Everton," said a statement on United's website.Manager David Moyes added: "He is a player with great ability and strength and I think he will make a real difference to our squad."Fellaini said he was "thrilled" with the move and that he "jumped at the chance" to renew his relationship with former Everton boss Moyes.Everton earlier confirmed the sale, adding that the price tag was £27.5 million.However, the reigning English champions missed out with approaches for Madrid's Portuguese left-back Fabio Coentrao and Athletic Bilbao midfielder Ander Herrera.Britain's Press Association claimed United were too late in submitting their request to sign Coentrao on loan, while bizarre reports from Spain said the move for Herrera collapsed after three imposters claiming to represent the club found their way into the Spanish league offices.Everton also sold striker Victor Anichebe to West Bromwich Albion for a fee that could rise to £6 million, but they signed Irish midfielder James McCarthy in a £13 million deal from Wigan Athletic.Moyes's successor, Roberto Martinez, was also able to seal loan moves for Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry and Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who was allowed to leave Chelsea despite impressing on loan at West Brom last season.Current Premier League leaders Liverpool completed three transfers earlier in the day.Defenders Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori joined from Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting Lisbon respectively, while winger Victor Moses arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea.Liverpool reportedly paid a combined amount of £25 million to sign Ilori and France international centre-back Sakho, who had fallen down the pecking order at PSG."I came here because the project that is in place at Liverpool interests me," Sakho, 23, told Liverpool's official website.Aston Villa made Czech international striker Libor Kozak their seventh new recruit of the close-season, signing him from Lazio on a four-year contract for a reported fee of around £7 million.West Brom broke their transfer record to take Benin midfielder Stephane Sessegnon from Sunderland, who signed Italian striker Fabio Borini on loan from Liverpool and left-back Andrea Dossena from Napoli.Seven months after his aborted exit from West Brom on the final day of the January transfer window, when he drove to Loftus Road in hope of joining Queens Park Rangers, Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie left the Hawthorns to join Cardiff City on a two-year contract.
Bale unveiled at last
MADRID -- The first Monday of September is always a strange day in Madrid. The city that traditionally empties in August fills up again with tanned locals discussing summer exploits and a "new season" feel is palpable; it is the unofficial New Year.
Monday was no exception, but it was a new season with the extra excitement of the arrival of perhaps the world's most expensive ever footballer, depending on where you choose to read your information.
Tottenham insist it is a world-record £86 million (€100 million) fee, while Madrid go for a more sedate €91million, perhaps so as not to upset Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds/held that record at €96 million. Whatever the cost, Gareth Bale arrived in the Spanish capital on the day former "galactico" Kaka confirmed his return to Milan.
Kaka cost €65 million in the summer of 2009, when Florentino Perez unleashed an unprecedented spending spree to also bring in Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema. Then, like now, the club opened the gates of the Santiago Bernabeu to allow fans in to welcome the new arrivals, accompanied by a huge media scrum.
The Bale deal was announced late on Sunday night. He was unveiled at 1 p.m. local time, in front of a crowd of 20,000 that was largely made up of youngsters on their school holidays, fanatics, the curious and the plain bored.
The lower sections of the huge bowl began to fill up an hour early and the young voices warmed up with chants of Iker, in support for their estranged goalkeeping hero Casillas, before moving on to a repertoire that included Mexican waves, a message not to sell Mesut Ozil and insults to the old enemy in Barcelona.
One fan's banner read "Bale, the man of the decima," alluding to his new club's annual search for its 10th Champions League title, 11 years after its ninth.
Outside, the unofficial merchandise stalls were doing a brisk trade in Bale scarves adorned with an unconvincing photo-shopped image of him appearing to strike an action pose in a Real shirt.
While those in attendance were not the usual profile of Real Madrid match-goer, most did wear replica shirts with the names of their heroes, Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Casillas; and the club shop rolled out the first ones with Bale on the back.
That is not to say that Madridistas have not done their homework on the player. Fed on a summer-long promise of his imminent arrival, most are aware what Bale is capable of.
Office worker Jose Luis told me the Welshman "deserves such a welcome because of the long wait."
Madrid-born student Gabriel said he saw Bale "as the natural substitute for Ronaldo, whether it is in the next year or later on," and if Bale does perform, his six-year contract should ultimately see him as top dog at Madrid.
As the wait continued, the stadium scoreboard lit up with goals scored in the white of Tottenham, before a collection of photos showed him in the red of Wales and as an early teen in a Real Madrid shirt circa 1995.
After a two-hour morning medical in a clinic in La Moraleja, Madrid's well-heeled northern enclave most of his teammates already call home, Bale was then whisked the three kilometres down the city's main drag, the Paseo Castellana, to get his first view of his new home.
We knew this in the stadium as we were privy to these images on the scoreboard, as Real Madrid TV were now in his car, and then we saw him walk through the doors of the stadium for the first time.
Finally at 1:16 p.m., with fans still flowing through the turnstiles, he finally appeared suited and booted from the throng into the Presidential Box where Perez opened the ceremony.
Describing the new signing as the best player in the Premier League, Perez spoke of Bale's dream to wear the Real Madrid shirt, as the player heard his first words translated through headphones from a language that could fill his head for years to come.
Ten minutes later, the fans got what they had come for as he stood centre stage to utter a few phrases in English about how "amazing" it all was and talk of future "success." Even his parents got a huge cheer, before the traditional "Hala Madrid," his first words in Spanish to thank the fans and a photo with the "Presi."
Another 15-minute wait for the fans before he appeared on the pitch for the obligatory ball juggling and more than an hour later the press got their chance to question him.
Over 26 questions and 10 minutes he had kind words for Ronaldo, who he described as "the best player in the world," while revealing that he had already had a chat with Carlo Ancelotti about his role.
Bale admitted to nerves on such a day and explained his long-term interest in Spanish football and Real Madrid stretching back to his childhood. He also admitted he had been learning Spanish and how part of his adventure is to learn the language and culture of his new home.
With an international break now coming up, the Welshman's current stay in Spain will be less than 24 hours, but he says he should be available for selection for the next league game at Villarreal. However, it is likely Ancelotti will offer him the treatment Neymar has had at Barca and ease him into his new surroundings; he will be given some time, at least, by fans and press alike.
The long-term objective has to be to hit the heights of Ronaldo and avoid the lows of Kaka. The coming months will be a challenge, but ultimately it will be his ability to bring the much desired decima to Madrid on which his La Liga adventure will be measured.
Milan confirm Kaka signing from Real
Brazilian attacking midfielder Kaka returned to AC Milan on Monday after four unhappy years at Real Madrid during which he went from one of the world's top players to an unhappy, over-priced, injury-prone reserve.The 31-year-old's dramatic loss of form has also led to him being shelved from Brazil's plans for the 2014 World Cup after he was left out of the Confederations Cup squad this year.Kaka has been plagued by injuries over the last few years, including one to his left knee shortly after the 2010 World Cup.He made only 82 league appearances during his time at Real after his 65-million-euro ($85.71-million) move in 2009 and rarely played anything more than a supporting role.Some 300 supporters were waiting for Kaka outside Linate airport on Monday."I'm very happy to be back," he told reporters. "After a difficult period at Madrid, I had been dreaming about a return. I'm not happy that I left in 2009 but these are things that happen in football."This is a young team with a lot of great players and I'm happy to have Robinho in the team," he added. "Physically, I'm fine, I haven't had any problems for a while and I want to play."I did everything I could for things to work out at Real Madrid and when I realised that there wasn't much space for me, I asked to leave."He said he still believed that Milan could give him a springboard back to the Brazil squad in time for next year's World Cup.
"I think that Milan can help take me to the World Cup although I want to take one step at a time," said Kaka, who won a World Cup winner's medal with Brazil in 2002 when he was a reserve, and played at the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.PRIVATE JETMilan said that Kaka, full name Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, had signed a two-year contract for his return to San Siro.The announcement of his return came two days after midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng was surprisingly sold to Bundesliga club Schalke 04.Kaka's arrival, in a private jet along with chief executive Adriano Galliani, came exactly 10 years after he first set foot at the club as a fresh-faced youngster from Sao Paulo.During his first six-year spell at the club, Kaka made an immediate impact, scoring 10 goals in his first season as he helped them to land the Serie A title.He became one of the world's top players with his remarkable burst of speed, vision and ability to shoot from distance with either foot.He helped Milan to win the Champions League in 2007 and was voted the World Player of the Year the same year.His Brazil career virtually ended after the 2010 World Cup, when he was a central figure in the team even though he was not fully fit after previous injuries.He was called up for a pair of friendlies last year and performed promisingly but has not been selected since a 1-1 draw against Russia in March, when he clearly failed to impress new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
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