Aston Villa midfielder James Milner completes Manchester City move on five-year contract

England international finally makes Eastlands switch...

Aston Villa midfielder James Milner has completed his protracted move to Manchester City on a five-year contract.

Milner, 24, has been chased by the Blues all summer and they had a £20 million bid rejected in May.

The England World Cup 2010 midfielder has now sealed his transfer to the club for a fee believed to be in the region of £18m plus Stephen Ireland, who moves in the opposite direction.

Speaking to the club's official website, manager Roberto Mancini was delighted to have finally captured the reigning Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year.

He said: “I am very happy to have James with us, everybody knows we have admired him for some time.

“He is an excellent midfielder, who can play in a number of positions. This is important for the team, and I am looking forward to seeing him play for us. We have a very strong squad, and this signing is a very important one for us.

“James he is already a very good player, who has proved he can play at the very top level. But he is also young and a good character, I think he can also improve and be a great player for Manchester City for a long time.”

Speaking about Ireland’s departure, Mancini added: “I hope things go well for Stevie at Villa. He is also a very good player, and he has played a big part in City’s history. I think he will enjoy the change of being at another club, and I hope he does well for Aston Villa."

Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald is sad to see Milner leave Villa Park, but is delighted to have completed the signing of Stephen Ireland.

"It is sad to see James go but it is a great boost for the club that Stephen is joining," he told BBC Sport.

"Stephen is a very gifted, inventive player and he links up play probably more than James in many ways."
He added: "He is a different kind of player to James with his power and strength all round the pitch, allied to a very good football brain."

Ireland says he is "really excited" to be joining Villa and hopes to feature regularly this season after falling out of favour with Roberto Mancini at Eastlands.

"I have plenty of personal ambitions," he said. "I want to get back to playing the way I can - I haven't played 90 minutes in nearly eight or nine months, which isn't normal really for me.

"I've kind of forgotten the feeling what it is like to come off after a game feeling tired, winning or losing. I'm not used to sitting out for so long.

"So for me, I want to get back to playing at the top of my game and I want to work hard for my team-mates.

"I want to see if my team-mates and myself can push on and achieve something massive this season."

Ireland scored 13 goals on the way to winning the PFA Player of the Year award in the 2008-09 season an hopes to recreate that form with his new club.

"My main attributes really are breaking from deep counter-attacking quite fast as the ball is building up, whether you are running with or without the ball," he added.

"I've kind of got a good eye for goal as well - I pop up at the right place at the right time"

Ps.Hear are the stunning that score during his days at Aston Villa

Juventus complete £12.3m signing of Milos Krasic from CSKA Moscow

Serbian international has put pen to paper on four-year deal...

Juventus have announced on their official website that they have formally completed the outright purchase of Milos Krasic from CSKA Moscow.

According to a statement released by the Bianconeri, the club will pay €15 million (£12.27m) to CSKA in three instalments of €5m (£4.09m): the first by 25 August 2010, thee seond by July 15 2011 and the final instalment by July 12, 2012, with any late payments to be resolved by a bank guarantee.

The club also stated that the 25-year-old has signed a four-year contract, and not five as initially reported.

Krasic arrived in Turin on Thursday to join up with his new team, declaring: “I’m the happiest man in the world.

“I always believed in Juve – even when things seemed difficult I knew that everything would be resolved. I was proven right.”

Inter striker Mario Balotelli signs five-year contract at Manchester City

Italy international finally completes move to Eastlands...

Balotelli, 19, had been chased by City all summer, with manager Roberto Mancini eager for a reunion with the player he handed his Inter debut in 2007. The Italy international's arrival - for a rumoured £24 million - is believed to have pushed the Blues summer spending past the £100m mark after Yaya Toure, Jerome Boateng, David Silva and Aleksandar Kholarov were brought in previously.

Speaking to the Blues' official website, Mancini laid out the welcome mat for the attacker he described as "one of the best players of his age in Europe".

He said: "I think that Mario is one of the best players of his age in Europe, and I very happy to be working with him again," the manager told City's official website.

Here are the best goal that Balloteli score during his days at Inter Milan...

Ps. Check it out

Santos striker Neymar agrees move to Chelsea

Santos starlet Neymar has agreed to join Chelsea in the next few days, according to latest reports.

Folha de Sao Paulo claims that in a meeting held in New York the decision to allow the Brazilian international striker to leave Santos was finalised.

It's been reported that the meeting was held in the presence of the player, his father, agent Wagner Ribeiro, Santos president Luiz Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck and agent Pini Zahavi. Neymar agreed to sign for the Blues, who will pay Santos €25 million (£20.7m).

Neymar has been the target of Chelsea all summer and at one point it appeared that the move had fallen through when Santos officially rejected a €20 million (£16.5m) bid from the English giants. However, with Neymar having agreed to put pen to paper, it now appears that an official announcement will be made in the next few days.

Sunderland sign Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha in loan deal

Defender says with Steve Bruce's help, he 'can't go far wrong'...

Sunderland have completed a second defensive signing in 24 hours by confirming a long-rumoured loan deal for Manchester City's Nedum Onuoha.

The former U21 England international was facing an uncertain future at Eastlands following a raft of big-money signings, but now will have the chance to compete for regular Premier League football at the Stadium of Light.

"It's an exciting move for me, to be honest," Onuoha told Sunderland's official website.

"The way things were going for me at Manchester City, I didn't really think I was going to be a part of things this season. Steve Bruce had mentioned an interest in me and to have him wanting me was a great thing.

"I've come here to learn and develop myself and with someone like Steve at the helm, I can't go too far wrong.

"I'm looking forward to the first game. I didn't really see myself being in contention at City, but hopefully I have the same chance as everyone else here."

The 23-year-old has spent his entire career at Eastlands but is believed to have been frozen out after another summer of big spending saw Jerome Boateng, among others, arrive.

With new Premier League regulations limiting squad sizes to 25, Onuoha is understood to have been shown the exit door by manager Roberto Mancini. His arrival will increase Bruce's defensive options, along with fellow signing Titus Bramble.

Roberto Mancini is widely expected to sell a host of players, including Stephen Ireland, as he trims his current squad to 25 players while also tying up deals to bring Aston Villa midfielder James Milner and Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli to the club.

Ireland will reportedly be used as a makeweight in a £26 million deal involving Milner that is expected to be completed in the next 48 hours.

Restrictions placed upon Premier League clubs this season could also mean strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy leave the club, especially if Mancini completes the signing of Balotelli as expected.

Manchester United Sign Portuguese striker 'Bebe'

Striker is the third summer arrival at Old Trafford...

Manchester United have announced that they have agreed a deal to sign Portuguese striker Bebe from Vitoria de Guimaraes for an undisclosed fee.

The striker, whose full name is Tiago Manuel Dias Correia, was raised in an orphanage has represented Portugal at the homeless World Cup after spending time on the streets as a child.

He only joined Guimaraes on a five year deal from Estrala da Amadora five weeks ago, with reports suggesting that United have met the release clause in his contract.

United confirmed the deal on their official website this evening, with the player still to undergo a medical later this week.

"Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Portuguese club Vitoria de Guimaraes for the purchase of 20-year-old striker Tiago Manuel Dias Correia (better known as "Bebe") for an undisclosed fee, subject to a successful medical in Manchester later this week. Personal terms have been agreed with the Cacém-born (Portugal) forward."

Bebe is the third player to arrive at Old Trafford this summer after the signings of Chris Smalling from Fulham and Javier Hernandez from Chivas.

Christian Poulsen joins Liverpool from Juventus for £4.5m

Juventus have today announced that Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen has joined Liverpool in a deal worth £4.5 million (€5.475m).

The fee will be paid in two installments, with just under half being paid when the player signs his contract with the Reds and a second installment in July 2011.

A further £1m could be payable depending upon appearances made and other factors.

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Poulsen this summer, although reports this week indicated that they perhaps would not move for the player until Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with Barcelona and Inter, left Anfield.

Mascherano admitted though on Wednesday evening that he was seeking a lifestyle change away from England and it would now look almost certain that he will leave Merseyside, with his agent in Spain insisting that a deal with Barcelona was on the cards.

There has been no official confirmation from Liverpool that the deal has been concluded as yet.