AC Milan will seek to end Inter Milan's dominance of the Serie A title by pairing the exciting yet temperamental pair of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho in attack, after they completed the signing of the Brazilian yesterday. Inter have won the Italian league for the past five seasons yet Milan signalled their intention to wrest back the crown they last won in 2004 by signing the 26-year-old Robinho on a four-year deal from Manchester City.
With playmakers Alexandra Pato and Ronaldino already part of Massimiliano Allegri's squad, the Rossoneri will have a distinctly Brazilian flavour this season and should not be short on flair. The fee for Robinho was not disclosed but it is understood Manchester City took a sizeable loss on the £32.5million (Dh183,583) British transfer record fee they paid Real Madrid for his services two years ago.
Robinho has been unsettled in England for over a year and he spent the second half of last season on loan at Santos in his native Brazil. "I am very happy," said Robinho yesterday. "Milan is an excellent club." Heading out of the San Siro is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who was part of a double swoop by Schalke yesterday. The Netherlands striker signed for the German outfit after a fee between the two clubs of around ?13 million (Dh60.4m)was agreed. He will be joined at his new club by Jose Manuel Jurado, the attacking midfielder who signed from Atletico Madrid. The pair join Raul, the former Real Madrid striker who signed for last season's Bundesliga runners-up earlier in the transfer window.
Also making the switch from Italy to Germany is Mauro Camoranesi, the Italy midfielder, who has joined Stuttgart from Juventus. The 33-year-old signed a one-year contract with an unspecified option. Bottom of the table after losing their first two matches, Stuttgart moved to improve their position by also landing Mamadou Bah, the Guinea international, on a three-year contract. The midfielder moves to Germany from French third division side Strasbourg for a fee of around ?600,000.
Elsewhere in Germany, Hoffenheim have signed Gylfi Sigurdsson, the Iceland attacking midfielder, from Reading on a four-year contract. The 20-year-old Sigurdsson joined Hoffenheim yesterday after two seasons with the English Championship side. Juventus, meanwhile, have signed Armand Traore on a season-loan deal from Arsenal, the Serie A club confirmed yesterday. Emiliano Insua, another left-back, has left Liverpool for Turkish giants Galatasaray on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent.
The 21-year-old full-back has been at Liverpool for the past four years, having joined as a youngster from Boca Juniors. However, he struggled to break into the side and today's signing of Paul Konchesky by the Anfield club put another hurdle in his path. French club Lyon have signed Pape Diakhate, the Senegal defender, on a one-year loan deal. The 26-year-old Diakhate says his decision to leave Dynamo Kiev was motivated by the prospect of "signing with a great club which is going to play in the Champions League."
Meanwhile in the Primera Liga, Valencia have agreed to sign Marius Stankevicius, the Lithuania defender, on loan from Sampdoria this season. * Agencies
