Returning Genoa striker Diego Milito has admitted that he turned down Tottenham Hotspur to secure a move back to his old club...

Genoa recently completed the recapture of Diego Milito from Real Zaragoza in Spain. The prolific Argentinian had a very successful two year spell with the Rossoblu before his transfer to Spain, scoring 33 goals in 59 matches.

Milito, before boarding a plane that will take him to Italy where he is due to complete a medical for Genoa, has revealed that he turned down a move to London with Tottenham Hotspur in order to move to the Rossoblu. “Zaragoza was putting pressure on me to sign for Tottenham, but then Genoa came along and I jumped at the chance,” said Milito, adding, “I wanted the Rossoblu shirt at all costs.”

The Argentinian player is happy to be back in the Rossoblu colours saying, “This is my city; I'm coming home.” The player went on to provide more evidence of his happiness regarding his return to his former club in Italy. “I feel an immense joy and my family is also happy to be back to Genoa, where I have always done well and hoped to return to one day,” said the striker.

Milito gave the Genoa faithful cause for celebration saying, “To the people of Genoa, I say this, I will give my all for this shirt, because here I feel at home.” That must be music to the ears of Rossoblu fans.

Peter Pedroncelli

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Manchester United have completed the signing of Dimitar Berbatov for £30.75 million, with Fraizer Campbell going the other way on a season-long loan...

The Bulgarian has been a long-term target of the double-winners, who had an approach rebuffed last season. They reignited their interest this summer, as they looked to complete their striking options up front.

Spurs were greatly opposed to their approach for their star player and reported Manchester United to the Football Association accusing them of an illegal approach for the 27-year-old. Nevertheless, they remained at the front of the queue to land their man despite fleeting interest from Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Local rivals Manchester City emerged as final day fighters for his signature, having had a bid in excess of £30 million accepted by Tottenham. United, despite having officially been denied permission by Spurs to talk to Berbatov, arranged a medical in Manchester this evening and the player then arrived at Old Trafford as the deadline drew nearer.

Negotiations were ongoing in the stadium for a couple of intense hours before the player emerged and left the ground, shortly after which Spurs announced the deal as official on their website.

United had put an empty Berbatov profile up on their website hours before the deal had been concluded, which very much proved a sign of things to come, unlike Chelsea's faux-pas when they began selling Robinho shirts online.

The Red Devils have had to sacrifice youngster Fraizer Campbell - but only for a season - as he is loaned to the Lilywhites for the forthcoming season as part of the deal. The agreement will spare United potential blushes, as Spurs have agreed not to follow up their initial complaint over an illegal approach from the champions for the Bulgarian.

Campbell, who impressed last season on loan at Hull City, who he helped gain promotion, has been touted as a hot prospect by Sir Alex Ferguson, who is eager to hold onto the young goal-getter in the long-term future.

"The Club can announce that it has reached agreement with Manchester United for the permanent transfer of Dimitar Berbatov for a fee of £30.75m," announced Tottenham on their website. "As part of the settlement the Club has agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League.

"The deal sees Fraizer Campbell coming the other way on a season long loan. Campbell, 20, spent last season on loan at Hull City where his goals played a pivotal role in the Tiger's promotion to the Premier League."

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson lavished praise on his new signing.

"This is a key signing," he said. "Dimitar Berbatov is one of the best and most exciting strikers in world football."

Berbatov himself, already being dubbed by fans as the new Eric Cantona, was overjoyed with the move.

"Joining Manchester United is a dream come true for me," he said.

Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com

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Tottenham Hotspur have officially announced an eleventh hour transfer coup of Manchester City right back Vedran Corluka...

After weeks of speculation Croatian defender Vedran Corluka has joined Juande Ramos' ranks at White Hart Lane for an undisclosed fee.

Corluka only spent one year at Eastlands, despite initially signing a longer deal. The transfer had often been speculated about in the media over the summer, with the uncertain future of the ownership of the club cited as a possible reason for the sale. The 22-year old right back will now link up with fellow international Luka Modric.

A statement from Tottenham Hotspurs' official website read: "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Manchester City for the transfer of Vedran Corluka to the Club."

Regarding the move that will see him swapping Manchester for London, Corluka said: "I am delighted to be here because I am coming to a big club with great players, great ambition and also my best friend [Luka Modric] is here. It is a very happy day for me."

Manchester City were quick to thank Corluka for his service, a statement from www.mcfc.co.uk read: "Everyone at the Club would like to thank Vedran for his efforts and we wish him all the very best for the future."

Corluka is a recognised international and has 24 caps to his name. One of the first meetings he will have with his new team-mates will be ironically, when he plays for Croatia against England in Zagreb in the second round of World Cup qualification.

Alan Dawson

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Throughout a 34-year managerial career of unparalleled success, Sir Alex Ferguson has consistently preached the importance of his strikers in setting the tempo for the entire team.

From Mark McGhee and Eric Black at Aberdeen to Eric Cantona and Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United, Ferguson's trophy-winning teams have been styled as well as built on the foundations of his attacking options. Yet with riches in every other department – and Tottenham threatening to leave Dimitar Berbatov in the reserves for the season – the permutations up front most exercise his mind.

United won the Premier League and Champions League last season with virtually the same set of players, yet there were exceptional circumstances, notably Cristiano Ronaldo's 42 goals. Ronaldo has been unavailable so far this season, and the warning signs are already there.

Newcastle and Kevin Keegan are hardly synonymous with competent defending, but they still managed to frustrate United enough to grind out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season. United's 1-0 win was a significant result at such a difficult away venue as Fratton Park but, including the Community Shield, United have also scored just once in 180 minutes this season against a Portsmouth team that Chelsea demolished 4-0.

The difficulty is clear. Magnificent player that he is, Wayne Rooney does not naturally lead the line. The same can be said of Carlos Tevez. Indeed, with Louis Saha and Ronaldo sidelined, United lack not only a player who can naturally hold the ball up, but also any significant attacking aerial threat.

The wonderful intricate passing of the likes of Rooney, Tevez and Paul Scholes can still overcome most teams, yet there is the danger that they will become too predictable. As he watched over his team last night, Ferguson could only have imagined what possibilities Berbatov could bring.

In each of his first two seasons for Tottenham, he scored 23 goals, but he also provided the sort of physical presence and silky touch to extract the best from his partner up front.

Berbatov also seemed most likely to deliver in the biggest matches. Ferguson has often talked of a player's ability to cope with the Old Trafford stage. However distasteful, his recent behaviour also points to a self-belief that he belongs at one of Europe's biggest clubs.

Rooney, with his wonderful ability to roam into dangerous positions and make devastating runs, would surely also thrive in the company of a central player with Berbatov's skill.

Ferguson has admitted that he had been guilty of sacrificing Rooney's goal-scoring edge by asking him to play in different roles for the greater good of the team.

"We've played him wide and in other positions," Ferguson said. "He'd play centre-half if you asked him to. I think his best position is through the middle, either a front role or tucking in just behind."

In Berbatov, it would seem, Ferguson sees a player of quality in his own right and an answer to the Rooney conundrum.

Ultimately, it will come down to money. Tottenham believe United should match Chelsea's British record transfer fee of £30 million for Andrei Shevchenko. United are understandably wary, yet allowing the moment to pass could prove even more costly.

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