Robinho ends City purgatory
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Brazilian star Robinho's nightmare two-year stay at Manchester City came to an agreeable conclusion for both parties on Tuesday as he signed for Serie A giant AC Milan on a frenetic final day of trading as the transfer deadline came into force on Wednesday.
Robinho may have gone for a relative song - 18 million euros ($23 million) as opposed to the club record 42 million City paid two years ago - but his recruitment only added to the sense of urgency at Milan as it seeks to end bitter city rival Inter's dominance.
Robinho - who signed a four-year contract - joins Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a recent signing by Milan. They will join Brazilian duo Ronaldinho and Pato as the team bids to end Inter's resurgence, which climaxed with the domestic double - taking its fifth successive league crown - and the Champions League title last season.
The two signings will have the red-and-black half of Milan salivating over an attack that Ibrahimovic, never one for understatement, had commented before Robinho's signing as "the best strikeforce in the world".
One player who won't be part of the dream team will be Italy international striker Marco Borriello as the 28-year-old, already unhappy at Ibrahimovic's arrival, agreed to move to AS Roma.
Robinho, though, said he was looking forward to being able to show his full range of skills once again, as he had done when he helped Real Madrid win two league titles and in several impressive performances for Brazil at the World Cup finals.
"I am delighted to have been given this opportunity and I want to prove my worth," the 26-year-old said.
"My ambition is to play well and to help Milan regain the scudetto (the title)," said Robinho, who was a much sought-after target of Milan president Silvio Berlusconi.
Milan was the only one of the big European guns to flex its financial muscle on deadline day, and it was left mainly to German and mid-level English clubs to strengthen their squads with the main ambition of survival at season's end.
However, supporters of English sides Sunderland, Stoke and Birmingham will be hoping their ambitions are higher than mere survival after splashing out.
Sunderland welcomed to its Stadium of Light a record signing in the form of Ghanaian star striker Asamoah Gyan, who earned a 16 million euro move from French side Rennes on the back of outstanding performances for his country at the World Cup.
"The Sunderland coach (Steve Bruce) has faith in me because he has been following me for two years now. I am pleased I have the opportunity to come to England," the 24-year-old said.
"I follow English football and I know Sunderland has incredible fans.
"I especially know about the derby when it plays against Newcastle. That is something incredible. I have witnessed that myself."
Stoke finished a highly creditable 11th in its maiden season in the Premier League last term, but manager Tony Pulis showed he means to reach higher with four signings, including persuading veteran Senegalese midfielder Salif Diao to re-sign after he had originally left the club at the end of last season.
However, it will be the signings of Champions League winning Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen and highly rated Republic of Ireland Under-21 midfielder Marc Wilson that will have the supporters purring.
"This is a great club which is on the up and so this is a positive move for me," Wilson said.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish signed three players - former Arsenal star Alexander Hleb, on a year's loan from Barcelona, Spartak Moscow defender Martin Jiranek and Chilean winger Jean Beausejour, who was outstanding at the World Cup.
German giants such as Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen kept their powder dry, but Schalke 04 reacted to its haul of no points from its first two matches by signing three players.
It signed Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for 14 million euros from AC Milan, Spanish attacking midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado - who bade farewell from Atletico Madrid with a goal in its 4-0 win on Monday - and 19-year-old French defender Nicolas Plestan.
Jurado, who will play alongside idol and former Real Madrid legend Raul, for one was not in the least put off at the recent accusation by a former Schalke player, Rafinha, that playing under coach Felix Magath was like being in a boot camp.
"It's a train that passes once in a lifetime and I couldn't let it pass," the youngster said. "It will be an honor to play with Raul."
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