Football Transfers

EPL club Fulham "won the race" to sign DIMITAR BERBATOV from ManU for an undisclosed amount. The 31-year-old Bulgarian "agreed to a two-year deal" with Fulham after snubbing interest from a host of clubs across Europe. Berbatov "had been a target for Italian sides Juventus and Fiorentina," while United Manager ALEX FERGUSON claimed that Tottenham were interested in resigning its former star (AFP, 8/31). ... EPL club Tottenham Hotspur lived up to its reputation for "transfer deadline day drama" when it emerged in the final hours to beat Liverpool to the £6M ($9.4M) purchase of CLINT DEMPSEY, signed Lyon goalkeeper HUGO LLORIS for a fee that could rise to £13M ($20.4M), but failed in its pursuit of the priority target, Porto's JOAO MOUTINHO (GULF NEWS, 9/1). ... Eredivisie club AFC Ajax right-back GREGORY VAN DER WIEL "has completed a reported" €6M ($7.6M) switch to Paris St. Germain. The 24-year-old Dutch int'l "agreed to a four-year deal" with the big-spending Ligue 1 side and is expected to vie for a starting place with CHRISTOPHE JALLET, who won his first cap for France last month (UEFA). ... Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg has completed "the signing of Brazilian forward" HULK from FC Porto in a deal thought to be in the region of €40-50M ($50-63M). The 26-year-old has agreed to terms tying him to the Russian title holders until '17 (UEFA). ... Korean football forward PARK CHU-YOUNG has joined La Liga club Celta Vigo. The club said that Park will play on a loan from his current club, EPL Arsenal, without providing any further details, including his salary. According to British and Spanish media, Celta Vigo "is believed to have spent about" €1M ($1.25M) to lease the 27-year-old for one year (KOREA TIMES, 9/2).