MANCHESTER UNITED COMPLETED the £16million (€20m) signing of Argentina World Cup defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday with Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal hailing the 24-year-old as a “gifted” player.
Rojo signed a five-year contract after impressing during the World Cup where he helped Argentina to reach the final.
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Winger Nani has gone in the other direction, rejoining Sporting on a season-long loan, seven years after he left the Portuguese club.
“It is such an honour to say that I now play for Manchester United. The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world and to have the chance to play in it for the world’s biggest club is a dream for me,” said Rojo.
“I am young and am very keen to continue to learn the game, so playing for such an experienced technical coach as Louis van Gaal is a fantastic opportunity for me. I have joined United to work hard with my team-mates to win trophies and I know that the manager shares that ambition.”
Rojo spent the past two seasons at Sporting having joined from Spartak Moscow in July 2012.
“Marcos is a very gifted defender. He has played at the highest level in world football and can play either as a central defender or left-back,” said Van Gaal.
“He has ability, physical strength and a willingness to learn that means he has a very bright future ahead of him. He had a very strong World Cup and has been playing in Europe for a couple of years now. He is a very good addition to the team.”
Manchester United complete £16million Marcos Rojo signing
Updated at 20.13
MANCHESTER UNITED COMPLETED the £16million (€20m) signing of Argentina World Cup defender Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday with Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal hailing the 24-year-old as a “gifted” player.
Rojo signed a five-year contract after impressing during the World Cup where he helped Argentina to reach the final.
Winger Nani has gone in the other direction, rejoining Sporting on a season-long loan, seven years after he left the Portuguese club.
“It is such an honour to say that I now play for Manchester United. The Premier League is the most exciting league in the world and to have the chance to play in it for the world’s biggest club is a dream for me,” said Rojo.
“I am young and am very keen to continue to learn the game, so playing for such an experienced technical coach as Louis van Gaal is a fantastic opportunity for me. I have joined United to work hard with my team-mates to win trophies and I know that the manager shares that ambition.”
Rojo spent the past two seasons at Sporting having joined from Spartak Moscow in July 2012.
“Marcos is a very gifted defender. He has played at the highest level in world football and can play either as a central defender or left-back,” said Van Gaal.
“He has ability, physical strength and a willingness to learn that means he has a very bright future ahead of him. He had a very strong World Cup and has been playing in Europe for a couple of years now. He is a very good addition to the team.”
© – AFP 2014
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26.5million five-year contract Louis van Gaal Marcos Rojo Nani New Face Sporting Lisbon