Montella to join Fulham on loan

Roma striker Vincenzo Montella has joined Fulham on loan for the rest of the season, while the Cottagers have accepted a bid …

Roma striker Vincenzo Montella has joined Fulham on loan for the rest of the season, while the Cottagers have accepted a bid from an unnamed Premiership club for Liberian-born striker Collins John.

Roma confirmed today that an agreement had been reached to loan out the 32-year-old Montella to the Premiership side.

"Roma announce that they have perfected an agreement with Fulham Football Club to loan on a temporary and free basis the sporting rights of the footballer Vincenzo Montella for what remains of the 2006-7 sporting season," read the one paragraph statement posted on club website, www.asroma.it.

Montella's departure means that now only club skipper Francesco Totti remains of the starting line-up that won the Serie A title five years ago.

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Montella, nicknamed 'il aeroplanino' (the aeroplane) because of his trademark goal celebration, previously played for Empoli, Genoa and Sampdoria before moving to Roma in 1999.

He scored a number of crucial goals in the Scudetto-winning season of 2000-01, many as a substitute, after refusing to hand over his cherished number nine shirt to newly-signed Argentinian striker Gabriel Batistuta, who had demanded the jersey.

He was part of the Italy squad for the 2002 World Cup but did not feature in  Marcello Lippi's victorious 23-man party in Germany last year.

Montella will join Icelandic striker Heidur Helguson, American Brian McBride and Portugal's Luis Boa Morte in Fulham's attack.

Dutch forward John has been strongly linked with a move to Watford, who are desperate to bolster their forward line during the January transfer window as they bid to stay in the top flight.

It appears likely that John will be allowed to leave for a fee in the region of £2million.