PARIS (AFP) - Ronaldinho, who left Barcelona for AC Milan, and Manchester City-bound Robinho were the two top names in football to have completed transfers during the summer.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Andrei Arshavin of Zenit St Petersburg had been tipped for big-money moves but they came to nothing.
The transfer deadline passed at midnight on September 1, meaning players cannot now move clubs till the winter transfer window opens in January.
Ronaldinho's move meant he could leave his wretched season at Barcelona behind him, where he was accused of showing more interest in night-time partying than what he was doing on the Nou Camp pitch.
However AC Milan's 20-million-euro purchase of the 2005 European Footballer of the Year could prove a rebirth in the career of Ronaldinho, who teams up with Brazilian compatriots Kaka and Pato at the San Siro.
Andrei Shevchenko has also returned to AC Milan from Chelsea and the club looks set for an upswing in fortunes following a poor 2007/08 season.
Manchester City signed Robinho from Real Madrid for a fee of around 42 million euros, the English Premier League club confirmed on Tuesday.
Brazilian international Robinho agreed a four-year contract with Mark Hughes's side shortly before the close of the transfer window.
Juventus contented themselves with the 22.8 million-euro capture of Brazilian striker Amauri from Palermo as their top signing.
Coach Jose Mourinho was the big investment by Inter Milan who brought him in as a replacement to Roberto Mancini and their major signing of the season was made on Monday when they took on board FC Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma for around 17 million euros.
Inter also landed Roma's Brazilian midfielder Mancini and Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari.
In Spain, Real Madrid purchased striker Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart from Hamburg, joining up with fellow Dutchmen Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Royston Drenthe and Wesley Sneijder at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium.
Van der Vaart's inclusion no doubted consoled the Meringues somewhat having failed to prise Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa from Valencia.
Barcelona opened their wallet wide to pay for the incoming players of Daniel Alves, Alexander Hleb and Seydou Keita.
Though the top Spanish clubs often get the players they want, Ronaldo did not move to Madrid although they offered Manchester United a reported 85 million euros for the player who scored 42 goals on the way to the English Premiership and Champions League titles.
He was involved in a tug-of-war between the clubs with daily updates throughout the summer though early last month he finally decided to stay with the Red Devils for at least another year, adding he would still like to play for Madrid at some point in his career.
Just after losing in the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 with Portugal, Ronaldo had made clear his desire to move to Madrid although he had a contract linking him with Manchester till 2012.
Sir Alex Ferguson got his way however and hanging on to Ronaldo was the major task, as far as his squad was concerned, during the summer.
However United beat the transfer deadline to complete a 37.7 million-euro deal for Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov. Berbatov, 27, agreed a four-year contract with United and Tottenham confirmed the deal on their website 45 minutes after the transfer window shut.
Manchester City had tried to lure Berbatov to Eastlands after having an offer accepted for the Bulgarian, but he opted to join the European champions following talks with Ferguson at the club's Carrington training ground.
Arsenal's Arsene Wenger brought in Marseille's midfield maestro Sami Nasri, sometimes touted as the new Zinedine Zidane, and defender Mikael Silvestre, also of France, from Manchester United.
Liverpool however splashed out 24 million euros to buy Tottenham striker Roy Keane to create a new strike partnership at Anfield with Fernando Torres.
Chelsea's new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to their fifth World Cup title in 2002, brought in midfielder playmaker Deco from Brazil.
Tottenham, very active in the transfer market this season, failed to land their sought-after target of Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg.
Arshavin's superb showing for Russia, as they cruised to the Euro 2008 semi-finals, put him nicely in the shop window but St Petersburg's 25 million-euro plus price tag proved too much for the north Londoners.
Comment 4 - 23 of 23
ugghhh, what a dry article...
They might have just presented an "major players in and out" table or something
I still reckon Calderon told Robinho "Manchester want to sign you for 40m Euro, just put your name here and get lost", so he hopped on a plane to Manchester and is still wondering when he's going to get his European Champions red shirt and meet Sir Alex.
Who wrote this??? 20 people notice that the typo of Robbie and Roy Keane, but nobody seems to notices that they messed up Deco. He was not signed or brought from Brazil, but from Barcelona or Portugal. Yes, he was born in Brazil but represents that country nowhere therefore that fact has nothing to do with him coming to Chelski....
Somebody, please get us a writer than can get his facts straight...
This is obviously written by an idiot with a college degree in journalism who has no love, passion or understanting of the beautiful game... Shame on EUROsport.
Its a great to see berba in man utd shirts..
and robinho in man city shirts.
look out manchester rivals will rules the league
Don't be surprized if manchester city will buy players better than Cristiano Ronaldo in the future specially from Brazil and don't talk about Robinho cuz it's just nothing you seen yet,these people have OIL MACHINE and don't depend on trophies or fans to have fund for thier players,but if manchester city wouldn't be better than ninth place like what club did in 2008,you'll find how many coaches will be replaced just to pick up a place better than ninth,the POOR COACH will damn the day he've been a coach for manchester city,I don't know how many coaches will replaced just to reach fourth place they wish to reach this season,the players would be the greatest winner of thier deals at manchester city,if MARK HUGHES a CLEVER ,he wouldn't say he needs one more player or trust me this will be the START of ENDLESS COACHES at this club,you may find manchester city having 4 or 5 coaches in one season,and try not to luagh much that time
cuz may be new owners will sell manchester city when they realize that laughes in on them,cuz also I think owners willn't find a coach for thier COVERED MINDED.
Berbatov had a dream to join manchester united unless you would find him in manchester city for thier highest bid,let's see who's dream to join manchester city?
I BET 1,000,000 $ FOR WHAT I SAID.
what difference does it make roy keane or robbie kean,hey leave it alone,and get a life
if u click on the name roy keane it comes up as his details not robbies
someone report them for bad typing its not the first time.......................
What a nice evidence that somebody can outbid Chelsea. They've bought SWP so other clubs couldn't have bought him. Now he's at Man City where he can fully develop his talent. I would like to see Peter Kenyon's face now when Robinho is at Man City
roy keane for liverpool who is managing sunderland then robbie keane!?
"I hate Real. They purpousely duwan sell Robinho to chelsea out of spite. @#$% @#$% real madrid. Just when Chelsea needed a striker the most."
........................................... ............................................
typical chelsea fan hates madrid for atualy having some sense!
Man City has it all ROBINHO,BENJANI,ELANO,VASSEL,JOL could turn out 2 be the latest candidate 4 BIG FIVE prove yourself HUGHES
Tottenham sold Berb and Keane. With that money generated they should have bought Asrshavin for the asking price ( 25 m euros ) which is less than what Keane or Berb were sold for. Tottenham have only themselves to blame if they finish below 5th.
Does it matter ! Roy or Robbie , thy are both @#$%
"Liverpool however splashed out 24 million euros to buy Tottenham striker Roy Keane to create a new strike partnership at Anfield with Fernando Torres."
typo there. it's Robbie Keane not Roy Keane. LOL
Might have been better if it had been ROY!!!! LOL
hello aufadanial, your team really suck never wons the Champion League ...I am the died heart of Real Madrid we selling the player with high bid why Chelsea dunn have money .....to bid higher than Man City....why??????Chelsea like a horse without legs...no striker hahahah....really want to see Chelsea trash and burn ........you team really !@#$
hello aufadanial, your team really suck never wons the Champion League ...I am the died heart of Real Madrid we selling the player with high bid why Chelsea dunn have money .....to bid higher than Man City....why??????Chelsea like a horse without legs...no striker hahahah....really want to see Chelsea trash and burn ........you team really !@#$
La liga has lost robinho, ronaldinho and deco this season!!! But they got Finnan.
I hate Real. They purpousely duwan sell Robinho to chelsea out of spite. @#$% @#$% real madrid. Just when Chelsea needed a striker the most.
`Chelsea 4 liiffee~~
what colour do your team wear? envious green?
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