Manchester Utd deals head deadline day
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Manchester United’s mooted loan swoop for Monaco’s Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and signing of Dutch defender Daley Blind was the headline news as the transfer deadline loomed closer for England’s Premier League clubs on Monday.
According to widespread reports in the British media, United have agreed a season-long loan move for the prolific 28-year-old marksman for a fee of around STG10 million euros ($A18.25 million).
Sources at Monaco told AFP that United would then have the option of making the deal permanent for a fee of around 55 million euros ($A82.5 million).
The club also confirmed the arrival of Blind for 14 million, after having a medical over the weekend and putting pen to paper on a four-year deal.
Blind, who can play as a defensive midfielder or in a left-sided role in defence, came through the Ajax youth system, making his senior debut in 2008 for his hometown club.
He has 19 caps for the Netherlands and was voted Dutch Player of the Year for the 2013-14 season.
“It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United,” Blind told United’s website.
“I have been at Ajax since I was seven years old and I will always have very fond memories of the club and of my time there.
“Louis van Gaal is a tremendously talented coach, I have worked with him at Ajax and also for the Netherlands national team and I cannot wait to work with him at the biggest club in the world.”
Falcao, who missed the World Cup with a serious knee injury, was due to undergo a medical examination in Manchester later on Monday (Tuesday morning AEST).
United, of course, have already paid a British-record 59.7 million to sign Angel di Maria from Real Madrid.
The deals for Falcao and Blind take United’s close-season spending to around 150 million as the 20-time English champions look to rebuild following a disappointing seventh-place finish last season.
With Falcao in line to form a star-studded attack at Old Trafford alongside Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez was allowed to leave the club in a loan move to Real Madrid.
The Mexico striker, scored 59 goals in 154 appearances for United after arriving from Guadalajara in 2010, but never managed to hold down a first-team place.
Elsewhere, Hull City broke their transfer record to sign Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez from Italian side Palermo for a fee thought to be around 9.5 million.
The 24-year-old has signed a three-year contract with an option for a further year and will plug the gap left by Shane Long’s departure for Southampton.
Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their ranks by signing France Under-21 international midfielder Benjamin Stambouli from Montpellier for around 4.7 million.
Promoted Burnley, meanwhile, signed Scottish forward George Boyd from Hull for a reported fee of 3 million and took promising English midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah on loan from Chelsea until January.
Another player leaving Chelsea on loan was Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel, who has followed Fernando Torres to AC Milan, while Morocco midfielder Karim El Ahmadi left Aston Villa for Feyenoord on a three-year deal.
Southampton terminated the contract of Inter Milan loanee Saphir Taider less than a month after his arrival, citing the Algerian’s failure “to live up to the high levels of commitment expected of Southampton players”.