Internazionale have announced the signing of the Monaco defensive midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia for a fee believed to be in the region of €35m.
Kondogbia, who was reportedly a target for a number of English clubs including the north London duo of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, penned a five-year deal subject to a medical on Monday.
“Contracts signed with Monaco for Geoffrey Kondogbia,” read a statement on the club’s official Twitter account on Sunday night. “The Frenchman will undergo a medical in Italy tomorrow.”
The signing of Kondogbia means that Inter have not only stolen a march on the two Premier League clubs but also their city rivals, Milan. The Rossoneri's CEO Adriano Galliani told La Gazzetta dello Sport that a fee between the Ligue 1 side and Milan had been agreed last Friday evening, as well as personal terms with the French international, only for Internazionale to offer more and secure the player's services.
“It was all done,” said Galliani. “Monaco had given us the all-clear for the sale at €40m with payment spread over two years, €20m and €20m. The agreement with Geoffrey had already been sorted out the night before and was confirmed that same morning by him and his father. After we exchanged the documentation ... everyone disappeared. Evidently they changed their minds or the others offered more.”
Kondogbia is one of many new faces expected to arrive at the San Siro this summer after a disappointing season for Roberto Mancini’s side that saw them finish in eight place.
Meanwhile Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic is undergoing a medical ahead of his proposed move from Atletico Madrid to Juventus, the Serie A champions have announced.
The 29-year-old is set to join the Italian giants with reports suggesting the deal is worth 25million euros and will see him sign a four-year contract.
A statement from Juventus read: “Mario Mandzukic is this morning undergoing a routine medical ahead of his proposed transfer to Juventus from Atletico Madrid.
“The 29-year-old forward will take his first tests at the city’s Clinica Fornaca di Sessant, before completing the procedure at the Istituto di Medicina dello Sport medical centre.”
Mandzukic joined Atletico last summer from Bayern Munich and scored 20 goals in 43 games for the Spanish side.
Juve are looking to strengthen their attacking line with Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez expected to leave the club this summer.
Tevez, Juve’s top scorer in the past two seasons, is under contract with Juve for another year but is keen to return home to Argentina, with former club Boca Juniors keen to acquire his services.
Juve won the domestic double — Serie A and Coppa Italia — for the first time since 1995 under first-year coach Massimiliano Allegri last season and also reached the Champions League final before losing 3-1 to Barcelona.
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