Palermo have beaten a host of other Italian clubs to sign FC Midtjylland defender Simon Kjær

The Denmark under-19 international had received offers from Inter, Roma, Juventus, Fiorentina, Milan, Udinese, Sampdoria, Palermo, Atalanta and Genoa, according to his agent Mikkel Beck.

The £3million-rated centre back had also interested Liverpool and Real Madrid, and had been close to a loan move to the Spanish champions.

In the end, however, Midtjylland were not interested in loaning out the player, who in the past Beck has compared to Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney in terms of his prodigious talent.

Beck told Danish newspaper BT: "Since Simon was on a loan contract with Real Madrid last August, and since they offered him a contract that Midtjylland turned down, I've been in touch with six top Italian clubs that have shown interest in him."

Kristine Bergstrom / Eurosport