Transfer talk: Graziano Pelle join Koeman at Southampton from Feyenoord

AC Milan have completed the signing of defender Adil Rami from Valencia.

Southampton coach Ronald Koeman. AFP
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Southampton

Southampton have moved to further fill the void left by their summer departures by signing striker Graziano Pelle.

He has signed a three-year deal with the Saints, leaving Feyenoord and following former coach Ronald Koeman to England.

The 28-year-old Italian scored 27 goals for the Rotterdam club in the 2013/14 season and will be viewed as a replacement for Rickie Lambert, who moved to Liverpool earlier in the summer.

Koeman has been tasked with rebuilding key areas of the Southampton first team since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last month, with Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw having also left.

He signed playmaker Dusan Tadic on Tuesday and the capture of Pelle will be seen as another important move.

“I’m really happy that it’s finally signed,” Pelle told his new club’s official website.

Porto

Spanish international striker Adrian Lopez left La Liga champions Atletico Madrid for Portuguese giants FC Porto in an €11 million (Dh40m) deal on Saturday.

The 26-year-old, who has been capped twice by Spain, signed a five-year deal after three seasons with Atletico where he scored 11 times in 90 outings.

Lopez’s departure comes just two days after Croatian international striker Mario Mandzukic completed his move to Atletico from German champions Bayern Munich in a deal worth €22 million.

AC Milan

AC Milan have completed the signing of defender Adil Rami from Valencia.

The Serie A club announced the defender had moved to the San Siro on a three-year contract.

The 28-year-old Frenchaman spent the second half of last season on loan with the Rossoneri after falling out of favour at Spanish side Valencia.

Milan had an option to make the deal permanent this summer, but were unwilling to pay the asking price set by Los Che.

But after weeks of negotiation, the clubs reached an agreement for Rami move to Milan for a reported fee of £3.375million (Dh21.2m).

PSV Eindhoven

Borussia Monchengladbach have announced the sale of former Newcastle United forward Luuk de Jong to PSV Eindhoven.

De Jong, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Magpies, and has not scored a competitive goal in over a year, returns to the Netherlands, where he was the Eredivisie’s second-highest goalscorer in 2011/12 with 25 for FC Twente.

“Eindhoven desperately wanted to sign Luuk and we were able to reach an agreement on terms,” said Gladbach’s director of sport Max Eberl.

“We wish Luuk all the best for his future and we look forward to seeing him again in a friendly game that we’ve arranged.”

Palermo

Bulgarian midfielder Ivaylo Chochev has joined Serie A newcomers Palermo from CSKA Sofia on a three-year contract, the 31-times Bulgarian champions said on Friday.

Chochev, considered as one of the best young players in the Balkan country, scored seven goals in 45 matches since joining CSKA from Chavdar Etropole last year.

The 21-year-old has played 10 times for Bulgaria’s under-21 team.

Palermo were promoted back to Italy’s top flight after finishing top in Serie B.

West Bromwich Albion

Belgium international Sebastien Pocognoli has joined West Bromwich Albion on a three-year deal, the Premier League club said on Saturday.

The left back was part of Belgium’s preliminary World Cup squad but missed out on a place at the tournament finals after struggling with injury in the final weeks of last season.

“He’s joined us with a real hunger to prove himself at Albion and get back into the international set-up,” West Brom’s head coach Alan Irvine said on the club website (www.wba.co.uk).

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