Genoa Sign Miguel Veloso
The seemingly never ending transfer rumours surrounding Miguel Veloso can finally come to an end. The Portuguese midfielder has reportedly joined Genoa, after the Italian side came to an agreement with Sporting CP, or Sporting Lisbon as they are often referred to in the English press.
According to reports, Genoa have agreed to send £5.5 million plus the rights to Spanish defensive midfielder, Alberto Zapater. Zapater made 28 appearances with the Grifone last year, but the team is looking to make changes to a roster that finished in 9th place in the Serie A table.
Veloso has been a member of Sporting for five years now, and has in that time developed into one of the hottest commodities on the transfer market. He has, put simply, been linked with just about every major team in Europe over the last few years, including Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. The latter, in fact, were being piped in March as the next destination for the Portugal international, with countryman Nani talking him up in the press.
"I know him well because he was a team-mate of mine and I know he has the quality to play for a club like United,” Nani said. “He is someone who can do well at a big club."
That move, needless to say, never occurred, and Sporting continued to reject all comers, until today. “Sporting have reached an agreement in principle with Genoa for the transfer of Miguel Veloso and the acquisition of Alberto Zapater, with the consent of both players,” a statement released by the Portuguese club said.
Sky Sport Italia have since backed up this claim, reporting that Veloso is in Italy undergoing a medical and signing his contract.
It’s believed that Genoa will officially announce the deal once the player has completed his medical tests. Veloso, meanwhile, has not officially commented, saying only that his move to Italy and Serie A is "a dream." Nevertheless, this hasn’t stopped the rumour mill, with reports continuing that Arsenal – who are desperately trying to appease fans and end their silverware draught - were trying to hijack the move. Evidently, those reports were unfounded.
The Grifone, meanwhile, continue to be busy on the market front, quietly bringing in an intriguing mix of 6 new players, with rumours of more. Aside from Veloso, Genoa has so far also snared Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo, forward and former Italian national Luca Toni, and Hungarian striker Gergely Rudolf. They also managed to land young striker Mattia Destro, and the much touted - and very promising - defender Andrea Ranocchia on loan from Inter. Furthermore, they are apparently in the hunt for Bayern Munich midfielder Jose Sosa.
Veloso started his career as a center back, but he has been used mainly as a defensive holding midfielder. On occasion, he has also played and excelled as an offensive left back.
He first came to prominence in the 2006-2007 season, with an incredible performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League, helping Sporting to an impressive 1-0 win. His midfield heroics, in fact, stole the spotlight from the much-publicized homecoming of Luis Figo, and put his name in papers across Europe. The following year, he became a mainstay in the Sporting midfield, partnering with João Moutinho to form a versatile and tough engine room.
Veloso was a captain for the Portugal U-21, and thus far, has 14 caps for the senior side, including two appearances at the World Cup in South Africa. Undoubtedly, his presence in the Genoa midfield is a blessing for the ambitious northern Italians, but the question is, will the much sought-after player stick around? Or is it only a matter of time before we once again start seeing Veloso’s name linked with the giants of the sport?
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