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Transfer talk: Milan sign Taarabt on loan from QPR
AC Milan have signed Morocco midfielder Adel Taarabt on loan from English championship (second division) club Queens Park Rangers until the end of the season, British media reported.
"I'm very happy to be here and it's an honour to play for the strongest team in Italy," the 24-year-old told the Milan TV Channel after leaving Premier League side Fulham where he had also been on loan.
"I already spoke to (Milan manager Clarence) Seedorf and he told me what he expects of me. I can't wait to start playing.
"My role? I like to play behind the forwards or even on the left or the right. I'm a player that likes to attack, score and dribble."
Milan are having a poor season by their standards and are currently languishing in ninth place in the standings a massive 28 points behind Serie A leaders Juventus.
Taarabt made his professional debut at Lens in 2006 before joining Tottenham Hotspur the following year but he failed to get into the first team and after two loan spells at QPR he joined the west London club permanently in 2010.
He helped the Hoops get promoted to the Premier League in his first season but they were relegated in 2013 and Taarabt joined Fulham on a season-long loan deal for this term.
That deal has now been terminated so that Taarabt, who played for France as a youth international before opting to represent Morocco at senior level, can join Milan.
Transfer talk: Zaha makes loan switch from Man United to Cardiff
Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha has joined Premier League strugglers Cardiff City on loan until the end of the season, Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Friday.
Zaha joined United from Crystal Palace for 15 million pounds last January but he stayed with the London club until the end of the season when they won promotion to the Premier League.
The 21-year-old has found first team opportunities hard to come by at Old Trafford this season, featuring only four times for David Moyes' side in all competitions.
"He has pace, power, technical ability and goes past people," Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, himself a former United player, told reporters.
"He will give us that extra change of tempo in the final third, where we really need it. He will bring that little final bit to find pockets of space and produce a bit of magic."
Zaha becomes Solskjaer's sixth signing this month, joining Fabio, Kenwyne Jones, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Mats Moller Daehli and Jo Inge Berget at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Cardiff, who are bottom of the Premier League with 18 points, travel to Norwich City on Saturday.
Southampton's Osvaldo heading to Juventus in loan deal
Southampton's controversial forward Dani Osvaldo is set to join Serie A leaders Juventus on loan after only six months with the English Premier League club, Italian media reported on Thursday.
Gazzetta dello Sport said the fiery Italy international, who became Southampton's club-record signing when he joined for 15 million pounds from AS Roma in August, would be loaned out subject to a medical in Turin on Friday.
Juve, who have to pay 400,000 euros for the loan, would also have an option to buy the 28-year-old for 18 million euros, Gazzetta added. Sky Sports also said a deal was imminent.
Osvaldo was suspended by Southampton last Thursday for two weeks following an incident at the club's training ground which British media said was a bust-up with team mate Jose Fonte.
Southampton did not disclose what had happened but said in a statement: "The club has taken swift and proper action for what it considers a breach of the conduct expected of its players."
Earlier this month, Osvaldo, who has only scored three goals in 12 appearances for Southampton, was fined 40,000 pounds and banned for three matches by the English FA for his part in a touchline fracas against Newcastle United in December.
Osvaldo, who has 12 international caps, has a history of disciplinary problems. He was also kicked out of Italy's Confederations Cup squad last year after throwing a tantrum during Roma's defeat by Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.
TV cameras caught Osvaldo apparently insulting Roma coach Aurelio Andreazzoli after being left out of the starting lineup.
He began his career in Argentina with Huracan and has also played for Atalanta, Lecce, Fiorentina and Bologna in Italy and Espanyol in Spain.
Norwich add Nigerian Yobo to their defence line
Norwich City have signed Nigeria centre back Joseph Yobo on loan from Turkish club Fenerbahce until the end of the season to provide cover for the injured Michael Turner.
Yobo, 33, brings a wealth of experience to Carrow Road, not least his inside knowledge of the English Premier League having spent eight years at Everton where he made 258 appearances and scored 10 goals.
"We've got a problem with Michael Turner who has got a hamstring pull which will continue to keep him out for a fair amount of time," manager Chris Hughton told the club website (www.canaries.co.uk) on Thursday.
"It's an area we needed to fill. Joseph is ... someone who knows this division very well and has great experience."
Yobo has also had spells at Standard Liege, Olympique Marseille and Tenerife.
Valencia agree to sign Mali midfielder Keita
Valencia have agreed to sign Mali midfielder Seydou Keita on a contract until the end of June with an option for one more season, the La Liga club said on Wednesday.
The deal for the 34-year-old, who played for several French sides before joining Sevilla and then spent four trophy-laden years at Barcelona, is subject to a medical, Valencia said on their website (www.valenciacf.com).
The club had also agreed to loan Portugal forward Helder Postiga to Italian side Lazio, Mexico fullback Andres Guardado to Germany's Bayer Leverkusen and Colombia forward Dorlan Pabon to Sao Paulo of Brazil, they added.
The Postiga and Guardado deals were until the end of the season and subject to medicals and included a purchase option, while Pabon had already passed a medical and was due to play in Brazil until June 2015.
A rangy defensive midfielder who is powerful in the air and has a keen eye for goal, Keita left Barca for Dalian Aerbin in July 2012 following the departure of coach Pep Guardiola. His deal with the Chinese club expired at the end of last year.
Guardiola, who is now at Bayern Munich, used Keita almost exclusively as a substitute and he helped Barca win three Spanish leagues, two Champions Leagues and two King's Cups.
He will give Valencia an extra option in midfield for their Europa League campaign - they play Dynamo Kiev in the last 32 next month - and as they seek to secure a place in Europe again for next season.
Dortmund sign midfielder Jojic
Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund have signed Serbian midfielder Milos Jojic from Partizan Belgrade on the last day of the transfer window as they look to plug the gap of injured Jakub Błaszczykowski, the club said on Friday.
The 21-year-old Jojic signed a four-year deal becoming Dortmund's only transfer in the winter after the club had initially ruled out buying any players.
A cruciate ligament injury to midfielder Błaszczykowski last week forced a u-turn with the club - still in three competitions - as they running out of midfielders with playmaker Ilkay Guendogan also injured.
"We are delighted to have signed a player who can be used in different positions in midfield, has great development potential and complements our squad," said sports director Michael Zorc.
Dortmund, third in the Bundesliga and through to the German Cup quarter-finals, face Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League round of 16 next month.
Hernanes says goodbye to Lazio fans ahead of Inter move
Brazilian midfielder Hernanes has asked Lazio for his release and bid farewell to the fans ahead of his expected move to Inter Milan on Friday.
"I have told the President (Claudio Lotito) that I would like to go for the belief that it is best for as a professional," the Brazilian midfielder wrote on his Facebook page.
"I want to thank Lotito personally because he has always been fair with me, but this is my choice.
"Thank you for the love which you have given me from my first day here until today, and know that I will love you forever and will never forget you."
The sale of Hernanes is yet to be made official but news of the deal sparked protests from Lazio supporters, who staged a demonstration against the decision to sell one of their key players outside Lotito's offices in Rome on Friday.
On Thursday afternoon the 28-year-old Hernanes was seen crying with fans as he left the club's Formello training ground.
While Lazio have publicly played down the transfer, Italian media reports said they want 20 million euro for the player, who has scored three Serie A goals in 17 appearances so far this season for Lazio, while Inter are trying to negotiate them down to 16 million euro.
Lazio are unbeaten in the league since Edy Reja took over from Valdimir Petkovic at the end of the winter break and lie in 10th place in Serie A, level on 28 points with AC Milan.
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