Man City sign Danilo from Real Madrid on 5-year deal

Kolarov to join Roma

LONDON, July 23, (Agencies): Manchester City have signed defender Danilo from Spanish champions Real Madrid on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

The 26-year-old joined Madrid in 2015 and played 24 matches for Zinedine Zidane’s side last season as they won the Spanish league title, sealed their second consecutive Champions Legaue trophy and won the Club World Cup.

“I am very, very happy to be joining Manchester City,” Danilo told City’s website (mancity.com).

“There has been strong interest from other clubs, but it has always been my ambition to play for Pep Guardiola. As soon as I heard of his interest, I knew immediately I wanted to be a City player.

“I can’t wait to get started and I’m looking forward to getting to know my new teammates over the coming weeks.”

British media reports claimed the Brazilian joined City for a fee of around 26 million pounds ($33.78 million), making him manager Guardiola’s second major defensive signing in the current window following Kyle Walker’s arrival earlier this month.

Danilo, who previously won two league titles in four years at Portuguese club FC Porto, will join his new team mates in their pre-season US tour and could face his former club when City play Madrid on Wednesday.

Danilo

Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov signed a three-year deal with Serie A club Roma, the Premier League side said on Saturday.

British media reported a transfer fee of 4.5 million pounds ($5.85 million).

The 31-year-old won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups in seven years with City.

“When I came in 2010, honestly, I didn’t expect to play so long,” the Serbia fullback, who joined City from Roma’s rivals Lazio in 2010, told City’s website.

“Today is the day I have to say goodbye. For me, it’s a very sad day. I am proud that I was part of making City the club that it is.”

On joining Roma, he added: “I am extremely happy to be here,” he said. “I will give 100 percent and more for Roma. My objective is always the same — to win.”

West Ham have broken the club transfer record to sign Austria striker Marko Arnautovic from Premier League rivals Stoke City, the club said on Saturday.

The 28-year-old, who has signed a five-year deal with the London club, joins goalkeeper Joe Hart and defender Pablo Zabaleta as part of manager Slaven Bilic’s summer revolution.

“Everyone knows that West Ham is a big club, with big history, and I’m happy to be a part of it now,” Arnautovic told the club website after leaving Stoke, where he played for four seasons, scoring 22 Premier League goals.

“The club is still growing, getting better and better, and that’s why I’m here,” he added.

The fee, which West Ham confirmed was a club record, was reported by British media to be up to 25 million pounds ($32.48 million), exceeding the 20.5 million pounds the club paid Swansea for Andre Ayew in 2016.

The London club, who sold goalkeeper Darren Rudolph to Middlesbrough earlier on Saturday, have now made three big signings during the summer as they bid to improve on last season’s 11thplace finish.

Joint-chairman David Sullivan told the club website: “Alongside Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart, we have brought in three players with vast Premier League experience this summer, and that was one of our key targets.”

Arnautovic, who previously played for FC Twente and Werder Bremen, has played 62 times for his country, scoring 15 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo will remain a Real Madrid player for “the next 2-3 years”, coach Zinedine Zidane said Saturday, ending talk the Bernabeu superstar might depart for Manchester United.

On the eve of Real’s pre-season friendly against United at Santa Clara, California, Zidane spoke in Los Angeles about the 32-year-old Portuguese forward who is currently on vacation.

“There has been a lot of talk surrounding Cristiano, that he wanted to go,” Zidane acknowledged. “I only believe in one thing — whenever I’ve spoken to him, he has been very relaxed.

“He’s on holiday and he will be back with us on the fifth (of August). I listen, just like everyone else, but the only thing I’m concerned with is what he wants to do with Real Madrid.

“He’ll be here with us on the fifth and I think he’ll stay for the next 2 or 3 years he’s got left with us.”

Manchester United goalkeepr David De Gea will stay put at the Premier League club this season, manager Jose Mourinho said, amid media reports of continued interest in the 26-year-old by teams including Spanish champions Real Madrid.

In six years at United, De Gea has played 269 matches and won seven titles with his eye-catching displays gaining interest from clubs across Europe.

Mourinho said United were open to a move for the keeper but clubs had withdrew their interest.

“I can guarantee that he is not going this season,” Mourinho told reporters in San Jose ahead of Sunday’s pre-season International Champions Cup match against Real Madrid.

“My feeling is it will very difficult for him to go. He is a very honest, straight boy. He was contacted for a long time, the club was closed and then we opened. I always have this feeling when a player has a desire to go, then I don’t like to stop players...

“So we opened it and then they decided to close it. I see him really happy, focused, working better than ever and 100 per cent he stays with us.”

United playmaker Ander Herrera stressed the importance of his Spanish team mate, whose deadline-day deal with Real Madrid collapsed in the 2015 summer window.

“If you lose the top three in any position, like David is... it is a great loss,” Herrera told British media.

“We don’t want to lose them ... For me, he’s the best in the world, so I want to keep him here at United.

“He is a goalkeeper who can give you points. That is very important. I want to keep him here, to play with him, because he’s a fantastic keeper and also my friend, and I think you can see he’s very focused on Manchester United.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has told Barcelona they are wasting their time trying to sign Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho — no matter the offer.

Klopp has already rejected a $93 million bid for Coutinho, who scored a superb winner in Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League Asia Trophy victory over Leicester City in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Barca are set to test Liverpool’s resolve with an improved offer but Klopp has told the Catalan giants not to bother.

“If I say he is not for selling, he is not for selling,” the German told British media.

“There is nothing else to say. It’s a club decision, it’s my decision. That’s how it is.”

Liverpool sold Luis Suarez to Barca and Raheem Sterling to Manchester City in recent years but Klopp bristled when asked if he had received assurances from the board that Coutinho would not