Reds land trio as Milan nails Kaka
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, September 3, 2013
Liverpool was the first club to show its hand on transfer deadline day, signing three players as gross spending in the English Premier League surpassed 500 million pounds (US$780 million).
Defenders Mamadou Sakho and Tiago Ilori signed from Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting Lisbon, respectively, while Victor Moses arrived on a season-long loan from domestic rival Chelsea.
Liverpool reportedly paid a combined 25 million pounds to sign Ilori and France international center-back Sakho, the headline acquisition.
The 23-year-old captained PSG at the age of 17 and looked set for a long and illustrious career at Parc des Princes, only to fall out of favor following Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as coach in December 2011.
Despite Ancelotti being succeeded by Laurent Blanc earlier this year, Sakho found himself fourth-choice and arrives at Anfield determined to force his way into the France squad for next year's World Cup.
Ilori, 20, was born in London but raised in Portugal and is a Portuguese youth international, while 22-year-old Moses of Nigeria arrives after being crowded out by a glut of close-season signings at Chelsea.
The 500-million pound figure represents a record for Premier League spending in one transfer window, according to financial consultant Deloitte, and some of the country's biggest clubs were expected to further inflate that amount with transfers later in the day.
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Kaka rejoins AC Milan from Real Madrid. |
Several British media outlets reported that Arsenal had agreed a club-record fee of 42.4 million pounds with Real Madrid for German playmaker Mesut Oezil.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is yet to make a major signing this summer and has come under pressure from fans to add to his squad, despite Sunday's 1-0 success over Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
Reigning champion Manchester United, meanwhile, was reported to be close to signing Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Spurs have led the way for the English clubs, spending around 110 million pounds on new players, but they ceded star forward Gareth Bale to Real.
Meanwhile, Brazilian midfielder Kaka has completed a return to AC Milan on a two-year contract after the Serie A side agreed a deal with Real, the Italian club said yesterday.
Reports said Real allowed the 31-year-old to return to his former club on a free transfer, having paid 65 million euros (US$85.84 million) to bring Kaka to Madrid in 2009.
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