STOKE SNAP UP SAIDO
POTTERS SWOOP FOR BAGGIES STRIKER BERAHINO AS FONTE QUITS SAINTS FOR WEST HAM
Stoke City and West Ham both secured key signings last night.
The Potters have completed the signing of striker Saido Berahino from West Brom for an initial £12million on a five-and-a-half-year contract.
West Ham, meanwhile, landed experienced Southampton defender Jose Fonte for £8million.
Former England U21 international Berahino, 23, had been a target for Stoke for the past three transfer windows.
The fee could rise to £15million with add-ons.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes was delighted to finally land the striker, who hit 23 Premier League goals in 105 appearances for the Baggies.
Hughes said: “It’s been a bit of a saga but we’ve managed to get it over the line, thankfully. At times it appeared like it wasn’t likely to happen but, as always with these kind of deals, you have to be patient and hope that all the work done throughout the talks pays off.”
Hughes believes Berahino can thrive with the Potters and added: “He has a lot of untapped potential clearly, he is a player of good talent and somebody who has a lot of growth in the game still to come.
“I just feel that he has the potential to be the striker that we have been looking for for a long time – he is capable of creating chances and he is certainly capable of converting chances too.”
Hughes, meanwhile, insists playmaker Bojan Krkic – linked with Middlesbrough – has not expressed a desire to leave Stoke.
Fonte, meanwhile, was thrilled with his switch from Southampton to West Ham on a two-and-half-year deal.
Fonte, who made 288 appearances in seven years at St Mary’s said: “I signed for West Ham because they are a great club. They have a lot of fans and I have known for a number of years how passionate they are.”
“The manager (Slaven Bilic) was also a very big influence. I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the club.
“It is a new challenge and a new beginning and I am looking forward to it. With the way that West Ham is going we can only look to be challenging in the top eight.”
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AC Milan announced the signing of Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu last night, only to later mysteriously delete the tweet. He has been linked with Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough have let former England Under-20s midfielder Bryn Morris join League One side Shrewsbury Town on a permanent deal until the end of the season.