Viola complete Santana signing Saturday 27 May, 2006
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Fiorentina have officially signed Palermo midfielder Mario Alberto Santana and are reportedly making a bid for Mateja Kezman.
The 24-year-old Argentine had been in negotiations with the club for some time and the expected news of the deal was announced this afternoon.
Palermo will receive £2.7m plus co-ownership of former Treviso midfielder Francesco Parravicini. Santana has put pen to paper on a four-year contract with an option for a fifth, worth in the region of £1.3m.
He is Fiorentina’s second midfield reinforcement of the summer transfer campaign, as they have also brought in Fabio Liverani on a Bosman from Lazio.
It’s reported this isn’t the end of the dealings between the Viola and Palermo, as they are also interested in Andrea Barzagli and Simone Barone.
In the search for a forward to partner Luca Toni, the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’ today claims that Fiorentina are staging a bid for 27-year-old Atletico Madrid man Kezman. The former Chelsea and PSV Eindhoven star is expected to be available for approximately £3m.
In other transfer news, Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam will return to Roma after the end of his 18-month loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.
The 23-year-old Egyptian striker had a positive start to his Premiership experience, but groin and knee injuries saw his role within the team lessened towards the end of the season.
Mido scored 14 goals in 28 starts for Spurs, but it is not yet known whether the centre-forward will stay at Roma or be sold on elsewhere.
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