Marco Borriello’s agent has revealed that Manchester City tried to sign the 28-year-old before he joined Roma on loan.

Borriello completed a loan move from AC Milan to Roma on transfer deadline day, following the arrivals of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro.

“With the arrival of Robinho and Ibrahimovic at Milan it was obvious that the spaces for Marco were shrinking,” Borriello’s agent Tiberio Cavalleri told Corriere dello Sport.

“Juventus was the first to move but the loan with no fixed deal was a formula that didn’t convince Marco.

“But there wasn’t only Juve, on Monday, Roberto Mancini called me personally.

“We talked, he wanted Borriello at Manchester City, but then I explained to ‘Mancio’ that Borriello wanted to play in the Champions League while his team is in the Europa League.

“And then, on Tuesday at noon, the plot took a twist.

“Why Roma? Because they have offered to Marco a long-term project, because of the conviction and passion that were in the words of (Roma’s chairwoman) Rosella Sensi, because of the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

“And because of the two text messages that Daniele De Rossi sent to him.”

[Source: Il Corriere dello Sport]

Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he rejected a possible move to Manchester City over the summer.

Ibrahimovic completed an initially loan move from Barcelona to AC Milan last week. The deal could turn into a permanent move next summer.

Manchester City were heavily linked with a move for the former Inter Milan striker over the summer.

“City must fight Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal – sides which took years to build,” said Ibrahimovic.

“City are still a side for the future. I chose Milan because they are a team that can win prizes now.

“City can wait for the future but I can’t.”

[Source: Tuttosport]

Spanish striker Fernando Torres has revealed that Liverpool rejected bids for his services this summer.

Torres was linked with moves to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

“The club received offers and decided to reject them,” he told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

“That’s where it ends. Everyone thought I was leaving for Spain during the World Cup when there was nothing in it.

“I said the day I returned to train that my future was at Liverpool. I have a contract until 2013.

“This year our target has to be the top four. Like every team-mate, we all want to improve and win titles and for that it is fundamental we get new owners.”

[Source: Cadena Cope]

Spanish club Racing Santander have officially completed the signing of Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg on loan from Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen. The 27 year old will stay at the Cantabrian club till the end of the 10/11 season.

Rosenberg recently extended his contract at Werder till 2012, but the club’s general manager Klaus Allofs said that the deal had been made to allow him more playing time.

Rosenberg started his career with Malmo and spent four years there before joining Ajax Amsterdam in 2005 for €5.3m . He joined Bremen from Ajax in January 2007.

Santander finished 16th in La Liga last season.

[Source:- Racing Santander]

Serie A contenders AS Roma have beaten rivals Juventus to the signing of AC Milan striker Marco Borriello. The 28 year old has joined the Giallorossi on loan and will become a permanent arrival at the Stadio Olimpico if Roma pay 10 million euros at the end of the loan to Milan.

Borriello started his career with Treviso and had a short loan spell with Triestina before joining Milan in 2002. However he was unable to break into the first team at the San Siro and was loaned out to Empoli , Reggina, Sampdoria and Treviso ( in that order). He was then sold to Genoa in a co-ownership deal in 2007, but returned to the Rossoneri next season.

[Source:- AS Roma]

Spanish outfit Levante have completed the signing of young Uruguayan forward Christian Stuani on a season long loan from Italian side Reggina. The 23 year old was on the shopping list of many Spanish clubs after netting 22 times in 39 appearances for Albacete Balompie last season.

Levante were looking for another forward following the departure of Javi Guerra, and Canelones born Stuani fit the bill perfectly. The 6′1” striker previously represented Danubio and Bella Vista in his native Uruguay before joining Reggina.

Levante finished third in the Segunda Division last season and have gained promotion to La Liga for the 10/11 season.

[Source:- Levante UD]

Wellington Phoenix FC said on Thursday they had signed Argentine midfielder Oscar Roberto Cornejo for this Australian A-League season.

Cornejo, nicknamed Toto, made a trial appearance for the New Zealand-based Phoenix against his countrymen last week, when the Wellington club beat Argentina’s Boca Juniors 2-1.

Cornejo, 27, is an attacking midfielder who has played club football in Argentina as well as Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru.

“Toto’s the sort of player we think can circulate in and around the central midfield and provide the link between the front and the midfield,” coach Ricki Herbert said.

“He’s got all the skills and ability to create opportunities in the attacking third and he’s comfortable taking on opposition players.”

Indonesian international striker Bambang Pamungkas arrives this weekend to begin a trial with the Phoenix, who kick off their season against Gold Coast at home on August 13.

Brazilian striker Walter Henrique da Silva has signed for five years with FC Porto in a deal worth six million euros, the Portuguese club confirmed on Thursday.

The 21-year-old arrives from Uruguayan side Club Atletico Rentistas.

He agreed a deal which will keep him with the Portuguese club until June 30, 2015 with a get-out clause set at 30 million euros.

Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins has left German outfit VfL Wolfsburg to join reigning Russian champions Rubin Kazan. Martins’ departure comes just one season after he had sealed a switch to Wolfsburg from Newcastle United.

The fee is rumoured to be somewhere near the eight million euro mark, significantly less than the nine million pounds Wolfsburg shelled out for Martins last summer. Martins has signed a three year contract with Rubin, who have won the last two seasons of the Russian Premier League.

Martins only made sixteen appearances for Wolfsburg last season and netted five times for the Wolves. He was also part of Nigeria’s 2010 World Cup squad that bowed out of the competition at the group stage.

[Source:- VFL Wolfsburg]

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson wants to offload several players to fund his bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

Main victim of Ferguson’s desire to bag the French striker is Dimitar Berbatov. The Scottish manager hopes to sell the Bulgarian hitman to Bayern München for £20 million.

Ferguson is also ready to sell Anderson in order to raise the cash needed to land Benzema.

French trio Olympique Marseille, Paris Saint Germain and Olympique Lyon all expressed an interest in Anderson before a knee ligament injury in the New Year.