Brazil defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo has joined France’s Olympique Marseille with immediate effect after four years at VfL Wolfsburg, the clubs said yesterday.
Gustavo, who had started his Bundesliga career at Hoffenheim in 2007, was part of Bayern Munich’s treble-winning season that included the Champions League in 2013.
He then joined the Wolves, which won the German Cup again in 2015 while also finishing runners-up in the Bundesliga. His current move cost a reported €10 million.
Giroud wants to stay at Arsenal
Olivier Giroud has told the Arsenal Weekly he wants to continue his “good journey” at the Emirates Stadium despite speculation over his future.
Giroud, 30, has been linked with clubs including Marseille, Lyon, West Ham and Everton this summer as Arsenal prepare to strengthen their attack with the signing of Alexandre Lacazette.
However, Giroud said he wants to stay to help Arsenal fight for more silverware.
“I won a few titles in my career, that is an important thing, but there is another thing which is important for me and that’s that the people see you as a loyal warrior on the pitch – that you always give your best for the team,” he said.
“That’s why I want to stay at Arsenal.”
Iborra agrees Leicester switch
Sevilla are set to lose captain Vicente Iborra to Leicester City after the Spanish side announced yesterday they had agreed to sell the midfielder to the former Premier League champions for a reported €14 million.
Iborra, 29, has spent the last four years with Sevilla since joining from Levante in 2013, scoring 30 goals in 172 games and winning three successive Europa League titles and qualifying the team for the Champions League in the last two campaigns.
The club said Iborra would travel to Leicester to undergo a medical before signing his contract and returning to publicly bid farewell to Sevilla.
Ginter opts for Gladbach switch
Germany international Matthias Ginter has agreed to join Borussia Moenchengladbach from Borussia Dortmund.
Ginter, a 2014 World Cup winner who also won the Confederations Cup with Germany on Sunday, joined Dortmund in 2014 but failed to hold down a regular starting spot.
With next year’s World Cup on the horizon, the 23-year-old is eager for more first-team football to remain in contention for a spot in the squad, opting to miss out on a chance to play in the Champions League with Dortmund.
Toon snap up Lejeune from Eibar
French defender Florian Lejeune has joined Newcastle United on a five-year deal from Spanish club Eibar, the English Premier League side announced.
The 26-year-old centre back is the second off-season signing for the newly promoted side after midfielder Christian Atsu joined them on a four-year deal from Chelsea in May.
“When you have a manager like Rafa Benitez who wants you, you are very happy to come. Since I’ve been in touch with the manager, it was an easy decision for me to come here,” he said.
Shin named S. Korea coach
South Korea hope Shin Tae-yong’s familiarity with the squad, good communication skills and ability to get the best out of young players will help get their World Cup campaign back on track after naming him the new national team coach yesterday.
The 46-year-old former international midfielder replaces German Uli Stielike, who was sacked last month in the wake of a poor run of results that left the side’s 2018 World Cup hopes in the balance.
Stielike took the Koreans to the final of the 2015 Asian Cup just four months into the job, but has been unable to get the team back to that standard and was fired after a 3-2 defeat to Qatar in mid-June.