MANCHESTER UNITED have responded to missing out on Eden Hazard by announcing that Shinji Kagawa has agreed to become their first signing of the summer. The transfer of the Japan international from Borussia Dortmund, in a deal expected to reach €20 million, is due to be completed at the end of the month.
United have been in negotiations with the German champions for several weeks as they seek to improve their midfield options for next season. Hazard had been a leading target for Alex Ferguson but elected to join what he described as a “better project” at Chelsea in a €39 million transfer last week.
Kagawa will initially cost United around €24 million less than the Champions League winners paid for Hazard but the 23-year-old would have been out of contract at Dortmund next summer and, as such, the German double winners were not in a strong negotiating position. The €14.7 million transfer, however, could rise by an extra €6 million during the course of Kagawa’s contract at Old Trafford.
The midfielder is on international duty with Japan and played in a 3-0 win over Oman in a World Cup qualifier at the weekend.
Dortmund paid only €345,000 to sign Kagawa from Cerezo Osaka in 2010 and, despite suffering a metatarsal injury at the Asian Cup, he was named in the Bundesliga team of the season following a debut campaign of eight goals in 18 appearances. His influence grew last season and his 16 goals were instrumental in Jürgen Klopp’s team winning the league and cup double.
Ferguson and his assistant manager, Mike Phelan, attended the German Cup final last month when Kagawa scored one and created one in the 5-2 victory over Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, the Liverpool managing director, Ian Ayre, has called Wigan chairman Dave Whelan a comedian and claims he conducted a sideshow during their recent search for a new manager.
Whelan gave the Wigan manager Roberto Martínez permission to speak to Liverpool about succeeding Kenny Dalglish as manager and then appeared to give regular updates to the media on the latest developments.
Swansea’s Brendan Rodgers was eventually appointed, after the manager, Liverpool and Swansea concluded negotiations in less than four days in a much more private affair.
“Our aim from the outset was to conduct a proper, thorough, search and do it in the proper manner,” Ayre told the Liverpool Echo. “It is disappointing, then, that Dave Whelan felt the need to run the kind of sideshow he conducted via Sky Sports News and various other media outlets.
“To be honest, I always thought John Bishop was the biggest comedian in the north west but Dave Whelan seems to have taken that mantle over the last couple of weeks.”
Guardian Service
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