MANCHESTER United have made their first signing of the summer after confirming a deal has been done for Antonio Valencia.
The 23-year-old Ecuador international has signed a four-year contract after moving for an undisclosed fee. Valencia, who joins from Wigan where he scored three goals last season, is expected to help fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo following t
he winger’s £80million move to Real Madrid.
Valencia’s signature is reported to have cost United in the region of £16m with the winger describing the move as a “dream”.
“Joining Manchester United is a dream come true for me,” he told the club’s official website
www.manutd.com. “I have enjoyed my time at Wigan, but I am thrilled to have the chance to challenge for the biggest honours in club football here. Playing in front of 76,000 fans alongside players like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs will be an amazing experience. I can’t wait to get started.”
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he had tracked Valencia’s progress since his arrival at Wigan two seasons ago.
“Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier League with Wigan,” he said. “I am sure his pace and ability will make a significant contribution to the team.”
• Kevin Doyle signed up for Wolves’s widely anticipated battle against relegation yesterday. The Republic of Ireland striker has joined the Barclays Premier League new boys from Reading for an undisclosed fee, thought to be a club-record sum in the region of £6.5m. He is set to form an intriguing partnership with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake – a duo worth 43 goals in the Championship last season.
Many will look to them to keep Wanderers’ heads above water in the top flight, but Doyle believes Mick McCarthy’s side can set their sights higher than mere survival.
“We finished a point or maybe even a goal away from Europe when we went up with Reading,” he told
www.wolves.co.uk. “I don’t know why we did so well, but we all went in there wide-eyed and excited and fresh to play and that got us through.
“It was a bit like it is with Wolves now in that none of us had played in the Premier League before. I’m delighted to be joining what is historically a massive club and one which will be trying to establish itself in the Premier League.”
According to Wolves they beat off competition from other top-flight clubs to recruit the 25-year-old, who has signed a four-year contract at Molineux.
McCarthy enthused: “I think it’s a huge signing for the football club and it’s a coup. For us to secure the signing is brilliant and there might be one or two others scratching their heads and wondering why they didn’t do it, but perhaps that’s because we were in there from the start.”
Doyle, who signed for the Royals from Cork for a nominal fee in 2005, scored 55 goals in 163 games for the Berkshire club. The Irishman revealed he had been impressed by the swiftness of Wolves’ approach.
“Wolves were the first club that actually came in and settled things with Reading and so they were the first club I spoke to,” Doyle said. “I was expecting a long summer, but Wolves were in straight away. It was nice to see how keen they were and when I came in and met the manager I just got on really well with him. I had a good easy conversation with him and it felt right.”
Doyle added: “I spoke to the manager and chief executive over a week ago and came to the training ground to see everything. I’ve been making my mind up over the last couple of weeks and am just really pleased the decision has been made.”
