The Transfer Coup: What The Papers Said …
Guardian: Manchester United last night delivered a stunning statement of their intent to retain the Premiership title next season by potentially taking their summer outlay beyond the £50m mark after moving swiftly to agree deals in principle to sign the Sporting Lisbon winger Nani and Porto’s Anderson, two of the most coveted rising talents in Portugal.
A delegation from United, led by the chief executive, David Gill, and the assistant manager, Carlos Queiroz, spent yesterday in Lisbon in formal talks with officials from the Portuguese clubs, with agreements smoothed out with both before being outlined publicly late last night.
According to the selling clubs, the total fees to secure Nani, 20, and Anderson, an 18-year-old Brazilian winger, could rise to as much €50m (£35m) with appearances and honours over the course of their contracts which, allied with Owen Hargreaves’ imminent arrival from Bayern Munich for £17m, represents the most lavish spending of the Glazer era at Old Trafford to date. United’s initial outlay to buy the pair from Portugal is more likely to be around £15m.
The trio of signings will send shockwaves through the Premiership. While Chelsea could match such financial clout if they desired, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool and Arsenal can match such spending power. Indeed, not since Wayne Rooney’s arrival in the autumn of 2004 for an initial £20m have United spent this much to refresh their playing squad.
The implications for the chasing pack may be grim, but Sir Alex Ferguson will be celebrating something of a coup in the market. Nani, a long-standing target for United, had made his intentions clear to seek a new challenge having rejected the opportunity to extend his current contract at Sporting. The Premiership champions faced a second struggle with Tottenham Hotspur to secure his signature but, where they lost out to the Londoners over the £10m Wales international Gareth Bale last week, they moved quickly yesterday to ensure they did not endure similar disappointment over Nani.
The winger has been bought as a long-term successor to Ryan Giggs, who retired from international football yesterday, and is happiest operating down the left, with the 20-year-old keen to emulate his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact at Old Trafford. Sporting had hoped to persuade Ferguson to allow Nani to remain at the club on loan next season. The youngster is considered the most exciting homegrown forward to have emerged in Portugal since Ronaldo, with Sporting only reluctantly conceding they could not keep him. “Going to England is an attractive option for me because the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world and it would be a good challenge,” said Nani last week. “I believe I would progress there.”
The move for Anderson, tracked by Real Madrid and Chelsea, came as more of a surprise, not least for the speed at which the deal was completed. The Brazilian will require a work permit but has long been considered an imposing talent for the future. The winger was crowned player of the tournament in the 2005 under-17 world championship and has been named by the national coach, Dunga, in a preliminary squad for this summer’s Copa América. The pair’s arrival should ease the burden placed on Paul Scholes and Giggs, both entering the twilight of their careers, over the next few years.
All being well with their medicals, the pair will join Hargreaves, currently back in Canada, to be unveiled next week, with United’s spending unlikely to end there. Gabriel Heinze, the Argentina left-back, is expected to leave in the close season with Ferguson keen to find extra cover at full-back to support Patrice Evra.
Stars in the making
Nani
The 20-year-old made his first-team debut for Sporting aged 18 and played in all six of the club’s Champions League group games last season, scoring against Spartak Moscow. Made his Portugal debut in September last year.
Anderson
Like his countryman Ronaldinho, Anderson came through the ranks at Gremio. Won the player of the tournament award at the Fifa under-17 world championship in 2005 and has been named in Brazil’s squad for the forthcoming Copa America.
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Sun: MANCHESTER UNITED splashed out an amazing £31million on two superkids yesterday.
The Premiership champions signed Brazilian Anderson, 19, for £17m from Porto and Sporting Lisbon’s Nani, 20, for £14m.
A United statement read: “Terms are agreed with both players and an announcement will take place once a medical and other procedures are done.”
A day of drama started when United No 2 Carlos Queiroz and chief executive David Gill met with Sporting directors yesterday morning and offered £10m for Portuguese winger Nani, 20.
The Old Trafford contingent then left for Porto believing they had all but agreed the transfer.
They went on to complete the move for striker Anderson, 19.
United then learned Sporting met with Spurs sporting director Damien Comolli three hours after they had left.
Spurs believed they had nicked Nani with a bid which equalled his buy-out clause of £14m.
But, crucially, Nani’s agent, Jorge Mendes, did not meet with Comolli.
Mendes is also Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent and, coincidentally, also represents Anderson.
Mendes is believed to have travelled to Porto to complete the Anderson deal. Porto announced the £17m fee to the Stock Exchange. But United would not be beaten on Nani, either.
After learning of Spurs’ bid, they matched the offer and a deal was struck.
Nani had made it clear he would only sign for the Old Trafford club.
Hitman Anderson has been one of the most sought-after young talents since he was crowned player of the tournament in the 2005 World Under-17 Championships.
He was recently named in Brazil’s preliminary squad for this summer’s Copa America — but not tomorrow’s friendly with England at Wembley.
United manager Alex Ferguson also expects to wrap up the signing of Bayern Munich’s England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, 26, this weekend for £17m.
This would take Fergie’s summer spree to £48m — and he still wants to sign another striker.
Sources close to Fergie say he will play a 4-2-3-1 formation next season — using Ronaldo, Anderson and Nani as his three attacking midfielders behind Wayne Rooney.
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Sun: WONDERKID Anderson is already looking forward to lining up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
Manchester United’s latest signing has described his switch to Old Trafford as a “dream the size of the world”.
Anderson, 19, said: “I cannot wait to play in the same team as Cristiano Ronaldo, who is a great player, as well as Wayne Rooney and many more.
“I could not imagine I would ever get to work with a manager like Sir Alex Ferguson but it has happened.
“What can I say? It is a dream the size of the world.”
The ex-Gremio and Porto star also revealed that he has always wanted to play for Premiership champions United.
Anderson added: “Gremio was my first club and then I moved to Porto.
“Both teams have a great place in my heart, for which I have the biggest affection.
“They were very important in my life and professional growth.
“But ever since I was a boy, I always wanted to play for Manchester United and now that dream has come true. I am very happy.”
Despite signing for a bumper fee, Anderson is keen to prove his worth.
The £17million man said: “When I arrive in Manchester I will carry on working just as hard as I have at Porto, if not even more.
“I want to make my dreams a reality and I am prepared to do anything to realise them.
“There is so much motivation for me there.”
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Telegraph: Manchester United last night lined up two exciting young prospects from Portugal at an estimated cost of £34 million. Terms have been agreed “in principle” with Porto for the 19-year-old Brazilian midfielder Anderson, who can also play wide or up front. And they have agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign 21-year-old winger Nani, who was born in Cape Verde.
Anderson, full name Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira, has been named in Brazil coach Dunga’s squad for the Copa America in Venezuela next month but not tomorrow’s friendly with England at Wembley.
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Times: Manchester United last night sent out a resounding statement of intent about their defence of the Barclays Premiership title by committing up to £35 million to sign two of the most promising young attacking talents in world football, Anderson and Nani, from FC Porto and Sporting Lisbon respectively.
David Gill, the United chief executive, and Carlos Queiroz, the assistant manager, met delegations from both clubs in Portugal, culminating in agreements that were announced on the club’s website last night. Anderson, a 19-year-old Brazilian playmaker in the Ronaldinho mould, will join for a fee that could rise to £17.5 million and a similar deal has been agreed for Nani, 20, a winger who has drawn comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo since United’s interest was first revealed in The Times in September.
Personal terms have been agreed with Jorge Mendes, the players’ agent, who also represents José Mourinho, the Chelsea manager. Mourinho is understood to rate both players highly, while Tottenham Hotspur had held talks with Sporting about Nani. But even Chelsea have had no answer to the speed with which United have gone about concluding the deals, which could be completed next week subject to medical examinations.
Anderson, who has yet to make his full debut for Brazil, will require a work permit, but he is expected to be given special dispensation given that he is in his country’s plans for the forthcoming Copa America.
With an agreement already in place to sign Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich for around £17 million, as soon as the England midfield player returns from holiday next week, United have already committed to spending more than £50 million on strengthening the squad that wrestled the title back from Chelsea.
The initial outlay on Anderson and Nani is understood to be considerably less than the projected £17.5 million fee, which will be dependent on the players’ success at Old Trafford, but it remains a remarkable investment after the relative parsimony of the first two years under the Glazer regime.
Tottenham held discussions with Sporting about Nani, who has won five caps for Portugal, but he had already stated his desire to follow Ronaldo, his idol, to Manchester. “I will only leave Sporting to play for a club like United,” Nani said recently. “To be the next Cristiano would be a dream.”
It leaves United with much of their transfer activity needing only to be finalised, to the delight of Sir Alex Ferguson, who is on holiday - although the manager would love to add the signature of Samuel Eto’o, the Barcelona forward.
Gabriel Heinze, the Argentina defender, is expected to leave Old Trafford for Spain, while other fringe players will also depart and Ben Foster, the goalkeeper, may require surgery on a knee injury that troubled him during his long spell on loan to Watford and could miss the start of the season. But Ferguson is clearly focusing on strengthening his squad - and this time it appears that the much-criticised Glazers are buying into that vision.
