Chelsea Seal Yossi Deal

Chelsea has completed the signing of winger Yossi Benayoun from Liverpool.

The Israel international, who is viewed as a direct replacement for Joe Cole, has signed a three-year deal for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million.

"I am very excited to come to a club like Chelsea, it is a big club and I think it is a dream for every player," Benayoun told Chelsea's official website. "Hopefully we will be successful."

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti feels he has got his hands on a classy recruit.

"We are happy to have this new player," the Italian said. "Yossi has a lot of quality in midfield and can play in lots of positions. I like his behavior on the pitch and he will do a great job for us next season."

Agent: "I Can Confirm There Is Interest In Eljero"

Sport.co.uk understands Dutchman Eljero Elia is attracting interest from a number of Europe’s elite clubs with Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur all reportedly monitoring the player’s impressive performances at the World Cup.

Elia, 23, joined German club Hamburg in 2009 for a fee of 8.9 million euros after winning the 'Johan Cruyff Award’ given to the best young player in Dutch football that year. The talented winger was being closely monitored by Arsenal scout Gilles Grimandi and Chelsea Director of Football Frank Arnesen before moving to Germany, and now reports suggest the Premier League pair are impressed with his World Cup performances, while Everton and Tottenham Hotspur have also reportedly joined the list of Elia’s admirers.

Sport.co.uk can confirm there is intense interest in the Dutch winger, however Elia’s representative Mr. S.Vink informed us that Hamburg were only interested in keeping the pacey winger, rather than entertaining offers for the talented forward.

Mr. S.Vink told Sport.co.uk: “The situation at the moment is that whenever a player is performing well they are attracting interest, and I can confirm that there is interest in Eljero (Elia). But the player is contracted to Hamburg, so at this point in time he is still with Hamburg.

Elia’s representative was then asked if the Premier League clubs in question were tracking the Dutch winger. He said:

“Clubs are interested but I can’t say too much at this moment in time. You never know in football what happens next, things can move quickly. If Eljero (Elia) has a good game for Holland you never know what will happen.

“People must remember that it is not only Eljero (Elia), there are three parties involved in a transfer. If his club doesn’t want to let him go he will stay at Hamburg this summer. It is simple, as all three parties need to agree or he cannot leave his club.

“He is happy at Hamburg, but you know how football is, sometimes transfers move fast.”

Bale Wants Joe Cole At Spurs

Gareth Bale has urged Tottenham to do everything they can to bring Joe Cole to White Hart Lane.

Arsenal and Spurs are thought to be the front-runners in the race for the England midfielder after his contract with Chelsea expired.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has been quiet in the transfer market this summer although he has made no secret of his desire to sign Cole, who he brought through the youth ranks at West Ham.

And Bale believes the 28-year-old would be a fantastic addition as Spurs embark on their first Champions League campaign.

"I think he is a great player and would be a great signing for us," said Bale.

"If he did come obviously we would welcome him with open arms and he would be an important asset to the squad.

"His Champions League experience would be an important asset for us. The more experience we have the better.

"A few of our guys have been in the Champions League before but for most of us it will be a new experience that we are looking forward to and if he can bring us more experience then that would be handy."

Bale has been linked with a move away from Spurs this summer, with Serie A winners Inter Milan, their rivals AC Milan, and La Liga champions Barcelona linked with the 20-year-old.

He signed a new four-year contract in May, though, and insists he is not thinking about leaving White Hart Lane.

"I am absolutely committed to Tottenham," he said.

"I have just signed a new deal. I don't know anything about the rumours, to be honest. It's just paper talk."

Bale is excited at the prospect of playing in next season's Champions League and has targeted the knockout stages.

"I think we're definitely good enough to get into the knockout stages," he said.

"You don't want to there and fall at the first hurdle. We want to get as far as we can.

We know it will be difficult but we will be ready for it.

"It's a massive stepping stone that has made us a bigger club. If we can qualify and play at the highest level then the whole team will improve."

World Cup Ace Hints At Blues Move

Chelsea are being linked with a move for Mesut Ozil and the Germany World Cup ace has hinted at a move to England.

The 21-year-old has been one of the star performers at the World Cup so far as Germany have progressed to the quarter-finals and it comes as no surprise to see him being linked with a move away from Werder Bremen.

Chelsea are thought to be in the hunt and the midfielder admits he would be tempted at a move to Stamford Bridge once Germany's participation in the tournament is over.

"The World Cup is all that matters at the moment," he revealed. "When I get back we can think about my future, but for now it's not something I want to give a lot of thought to. To the top players the Premier League is attractive.

"You look at what Manchester United and Chelsea have achieved over the last five years and you see it would be easy to be successful at two clubs like that.

"I see what Michael Ballack achieved at Chelsea and the quality of players he played with and the temptation becomes obvious. Trophies are what matters to me. There are two teams in England always at the top and of course that's attractive. But the same is true for La Liga.

"They're the strongest leagues in the world."

Peterborough Swoop For Chelsea Free Transfer

Peterborough have claimed a major scoop with the capture of young defender Seth Nana Ofori-Twumasi from Chelsea on a free transfer.

The 20-year-old attracted a host of suitors having, but Gary Johnson came out on top and persuaded the youngster to pen a three-year deal at London Road.

The Posh boss told the club's official website: "He is a strong lad, a quality player and is a fantastic inclusion to our squad. He has a good future ahead of him.

"He can play right-back, left-back, in midfield, at centre-half - even though he is not the biggest - and I think he is a player for all positions."

Former Chelsea Midfielder Joe Cole Likely To Remain In England

Joe Cole's agent, David Giess, has poured cold water on a potential move to AC Milan, maintaining that he is still trying to work out a way in which his client can play for a Premier League club.

The midfielder has been linked with a number of moves having become a free agent after running his contract down at Chelsea, and there had been speculation that the Italian club were in line to offer him the chance to perform in Serie A.

However, the 28-year-old's representative has labelled that as "pure press speculation" while conceding that it is unlikely that the former West Ham United player would move away from England.

In the meantime, however, Giess has maintained that Cole's priority is to join a club that will compete in the Champions League next season.

"Football is the most important thing to Joe and continuing to play in the Champions League is high on his priorities," he told ESPNSoccernet.

Demichelis Has A Dig At Terry

Defender Martin Demichelis claims he would not be able to return to Argentina if he plays as badly against Germany as John Terry did last weekend.

Argentina and Germany are preparing to meet in the quarter-finals of the World Cup having eliminated Mexico and the Three Lions, respectively.

Germany cruised past England after a 4-1 win over Fabio Capello's side and Terry has come in for criticism following his unimpressive defensive performance.

Argentina and Germany have been exchanging fierce words ahead of Saturday's match but they have also both been taking swipes at England, and Demichelis has ripped into Terry.

The Argentina centre-back said of the Chelsea captain: "Seeing the way Terry played against Germany, if I was Terry I wouldn't be able to go back to my country.

"I'm strong but I'm not a masochist so I don't read every criticism about me.

"I know that when the team is playing well there are always people who look for a weakness, for example me, but I know I can overcome this bad moment."

Rumours Of Rift Between Steven Gerrard & John Terry Within England's World Cup 2010 Camp Ruled Out

England stars Steven Gerrard and John Terry did not have a falling out over issues relating to their private lives at the World Cup, according to several newspaper reports.

Internet rumours have spread in the wake of the Three Lions' exit from the World Cup that the pair headed opposing factions in the England camp at the tournament.

Terry's public expression of unhappiness at a press conference during the campaign was reported to have angered Gerrard and his Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher, with rumours of a wider split between Liverpool and Chelsea players also appearing.

There was apparently a confrontation between the two relating to remarks later made by Gerrard about Terry's comments at the press conference undermining team morale.

Gerrard is also believed to have been unhappy at what he perceived as Terry's attempts to undermine him as skipper.

However, according to a number of tabloid newspapers, the issue did not relate to the private lives of the players and they have subsequently spoken about the situation and are keen to dismiss the rumours as mere speculation.

My Favourite Games: John Terry

The latest in our series of player memories sees the captain recall two of Chelsea's most famous European nights, one in which he starred and the other which he watched as a starry-eyed youth team member.

Favourite game played:

John Terry scored the final goal in his favourite game played but that probably isn't the only reason he ranks the fixture so high on his list of greats.

When Chelsea hosted Barcelona in the Champions League second leg back in 2005, a fixture of truly epic proportions unfolded in front of the home fans.

It all began with the Blues securing a three-goal lead over one of the greatest sides in world football, a side who boasted names including Ronaldhino, Samuel Eto'o, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and the eventual Blue Juliano Belletti.

Eidur Gudjohnsen struck first, Frank Lampard added the second and Damien Duff made it three, all inside the opening 20 minutes, but before half-time arrived, Ronaldhino returned twice for the visitors.

The first was a penalty, the second was a phenomenal flick from the edge of the box, but it was all the Catalan club could muster and when Terry headed home a Duff corner in the second half, our place in the semi-finals was sealed.

'Beating Barcelona 4-2 in the Champions League five years ago really stands out,' explains the Chelsea captain.

'We played some brilliant football and ripped them apart at times, then to score the winner was a special one, but it was just a great team performance.'

Favourite game watched:

Around 20,000 fans travelled to Sweden to see the match Terry considers top of his list for favourite games watched.

After FA Cup domination during the 1996/97 season, which ended with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in the final, Chelsea made our way to the Cup Winners' Cup Final the following season.

It took a 4-0 thumping of Slovan Bratislava, followed by a 9-4 win over Tromso and a 5-2 triumph over Real Betis in the quarter-finals to get there.

The final game before the meeting with Stuttgart was a 3-2 win over Vincenza, while the German side won their place in the final with a 3-1 victory over Lokomotiv Moscow.

By the time Chelsea reached the tournament's ultimate game, the feeling inside the Chelsea camp was one of excitement.

And why not? Think of the line up. There was Ed de Goey in goal and Dan Petrescu, Frank Leboeuf and Steve Clarke were just three of the names in defence.

The Chelsea midfield boasted Dennis Wise, Roberto Di Matteo and Gustavo Poyet while Tore Andre Flo and Gianluca Vialli headed the attack.

It was always going to be a great game from Chelsea's perspective, and the above names don't even include the winning goalscorer, Gianfranco Zola.

In fact, Zola didn't come on until the 71st minute and scored with what was practically his first touch, feeding off a Wise through ball to seal Chelsea's first European trophy since 1971.

For a young Terry, who watched from the sidelines as an Academy player, the memories are still strong.

'The Cup Winners' Cup Final in 1998, when Zola scored the winner, was great,' says Terry. 'I was there as part of the youth team and remember it well.'

Chelsea Primed For "Schweini" Bidding War

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is ready to step up his pursuit of Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger after reports in Germany revealed that Real Madrid have had a 50 million euro offer rejected by the Bundesliga champions.

The Stamford Bridge club is keen on the German international with Carlo Ancelotti placing the all-round midfielder at the top of his summer transfer shortlist, along with Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, and Argentine Sergio Aguero. The Chelsea manager is eager to land Schweinsteiger after losing out on signing David Silva, who completed a reported £26 million move to Manchester City; however the Blues face stiff competition from Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

According to German TV channel ARD, former Chelsea boss and current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho had a 50 million euro offer for Schweinsteiger turned down by the Bayern Munich hierarchy. Chelsea have not made an official offer as of yet but Bayern are aware of Carlo Ancelotti’s interest in the talented German international. With Bayern standing firm reports in Spain suggest that former Blues boss Jose Mourinho goes head on with current Chelsea incumbent Carlo Ancelotti in the race to sign the player nicknamed “Shweini.”

At this moment in time Bayern Munich have a clear “hands off” stance, with manager Louis Van Gaal eager to keep his prized assets in Munich, warding off interest from Chelsea and Real Madrid.

"I Now Want To Represent A Big Club"

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko has urged the club to allow him to leave amid rumours Manchester City have made a lucrative offer for the Bosnian international. The 23-year-old has been coveted by Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti for some time, by City’s superior financial muscle appears to have given Roberto Mancini the edge over his Premier League counterparts.

Dzeko has a £32.5 million buyout clause but according to recent reports, the prolific striker’s glut of suitors including Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been unwilling to match Wolfsburg’s lofty valuation, and indeed Manchester City are reportedly eager to get the Bundesliga club to sell for less having already agreed personal terms with the long-term Premier League target.

Dzeko has been in blistering form for the last two seasons, netting a hugely impressive 48 league goals, and last summer the striker was embroiled in another protracted transfer wrangle when rumours suggested Manchester United and Arsenal were vying for his signature. Despite strong intent from the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Roberto Mancini, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti and Arsene Wenger, Wolfsburg have defiantly resisted any efforts to prise the player away the club, and at the beginning of the week they told Manchester City that they have no intention of selling their star asset.

Although Wolfsburg’s strong stance has appeared to deter Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti all seemingly unwilling to match or better the Bundesliga side’s lucrative demands, Manchester City are believed to be maintaining a stout interest in the Bosnian. Yesterday, reports from Germany suggested City had returned with a new offer, and the player this morning urged Wolfsburg to consider selling him.

The striker told kicker-Sport magazine: "I now want to represent a big club so I can develop further,"

"This has now become my big desire. I hope and I believe VfL will let me leave now.”

"I am aware of the clauses in my contract, but I have already said that this point in time would be too early. It is too early for other clubs.”

"Now I have received a good offer I have to talk about it with the manager and the managing director."

Carvalho Close To Chelsea Exit

Ricardo Carvalho is expected to move to Inter Milan now the Chelsea player's World Cup dream is over.

The Portuguese centre half was linked with a move to Italy last summer, but back then Inter president Massimo Moratti baulked at Chelsea's asking price.

Although two years are left to run on Carvalho's contract at Stamford Bridge, talks are expected to recommence once Carvalho has unpacked his bags from the trip to South Africa.

The Blues' reluctance to release young defender Michael Mancienne to Wolves is clear evidence of a shake-up in their back-four. Mancienne, a favourite of Wolves boss Mick McCarthy, featured in 30 league games for the Wanderers as part of a loan deal last season.

But McCarthy has expressed frustration that Chelsea dragged their feet over negotiations to make the deal permanent.

The Wolves boss said: "I’ve been asked about Michael Mancienne, but we’ve done business and signed a centre-half in Steven Mouyokolo.

"I can’t hang around waiting for decisions that might be negative ones. I could lose the ones that I’ve been looking at so I don’t know what will happen with that one (Mancienne)."

Chelsea are understood to want to keep the England Under-21 man as defensive back-up, with Carvalho on his way out. Chelsea are not immediately expected to sign a Carvalho's replacement, and will go into the season with John Terry and Alex as the first choice pairing, with Mancienne and youth prospect Jeffrey Bruma as cover.

Deco Set To Finalise Future

Fluminense are planning to unveil the signing of Deco later this month.

Deco has a year left on his current contract at Stamford Bridge, but the 32-year-old midfielder has made little secret of his desire to move back to his homeland.

The Brazilian-born Portuguese international has been waiting until the end of the World Cup before finalising the details.

Now with Portugal out, he is negotiating the final details of his release - but Fluminense are already planning to unveil his signing on July 15.

"If Chelsea let me go, I have given Fluminense my word - although I have not signed any pre-contract," Deco is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

"If I finish my time in London, then I will go to play in Brazil."

It is understood Deco will sign an 18-month deal with Fluminense.

Agent Hints At Serie A Move For Joe Cole

England international midfielder Joe Cole could join a club in the Italian top flight this summer, according to his agent.

Cole was released by Premier League champions Chelsea at the end of the 2009-10 campaign and the 28-year-old has yet to sign a contract with another club. However, there has been interest in the player from some Serie A clubs, according to his agent.

"For now, there isn't anything new to report. Joe has returned from South Africa and will now go on holiday," David Geiss has been quoted by Eurosport as saying.

“There are always clubs interested… In around two to three weeks there will be some news.”

When asked about interest from Milan and Juventus, Geiss remarked, “They are possible deals and I confirm that we are not dealing with rubbish.”

Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that AC Milan were keen to rope in Cole by offering him a three-year contract worth £9 million.

David Beckham Cooled England 'War' Between Steven Gerrard & John Terry At World Cup 2010

David Beckham had to intervene in a row between Steven Gerrard and John Terry that threatened to split the England camp ahead of the Three Lions' defeat to Germany, according to a report from The Sun.

It is apparently believed that Gerrard, along with his Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher, were on one side of the split with Terry on the other.

The Reds duo were reportedly incensed that Terry had called the England players into a huddle after the game against Slovenia.

That was seen as a direct challenge to Gerrard's captaincy of the side, and the row had threatened to spill over until Beckham apparently stepped in as peacemaker.

The Sun claims that that was enough to diffuse the row, though it also hints that the matter may now fester on following England's somewhat shambolic exit from the tournament in South Africa.

Ashley Cole Receives Death Threats After England Defeat

Football fans across the nation have issued death threats to Ashley Cole after he told pals: “I hate England and the f***ing people!”

The Three Lions flop has become an even bigger hate figure after he posted the treacherous text message slamming his own countrymen.

And furious fans who stood by the love-rat defender through his divorce from Cheryl Cole have responded by saying: “If you hate it so much here then f*** off somewhere else.”

Others are so angry with Cole they even claimed they want to kill him.

Thousands of supporters across England have vowed to make the mega-bucks Chelsea star’s life hell if he stays in the Premier League.

But they are unlikely to get the chance as Cole, 29, is said to be on the verge of making a £25million move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, where he will hook up with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, 47.

England’s loyal fans forked out a fortune to follow Cole and his team-mates across South Africa on their shambolic World Cup campaign.

But the ungrateful star, who leads a life of luxury and rakes in £110,000 a week, paid them back with his foul-mouthed rant.

Cole posted his offensive message on his BlackBerry to his online friends as his status update.

Later the pampered star tried to explain his comment by whimpering: “I always try my hardest for England and Chelsea but the intrusion and pressure I feel is making my life hell.”

But he got no sympathy on internet football forums yesterday.

One fan said: “Cashley don’t come back at least we the English people don’t have to see your ugly mug.”

Another added: “It is quite simple Cole, live abroad you odious little scrote.”

A number of fans also wrote sinister messages, including one who said: “I’d like to burn the little bastard to a crisp.”

Cole’s rant emerged a day after the shameless player was pictured with fellow defender Ledley King, 29, in fits of laughter following England’s humiliating 4-1 drubbing by the Germans.

Football Supporters’ Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke warned England’s stars they risk losing fans for good if they are seen enjoying themselves too much this summer.

He said: “In the light of the very poor performance of the England team at the World Cup and the large amounts of money which loyal fans spent following the team around South Africa, I think a period of silent reflection and humility would be good advice.

“A lot of fans are very committed to their country and the team and are quite rightly upset about what has happened.

“England needs to reflect on this.

“That includes the manager, the players and everyone else involved.”

Last night bookie William Hill was inundated with punters betting on Cole retaining his title of Most Hated Man In Britain.

He is 3-1 on to top the onepoll.com survey for the second year in a row after being dumped by wife Cheryl, 27, for cheating with a string of women.

He has been unpopular since releasing his 2006 biography when he complained that Arsenal’s offer of £55,000 a week was “taking the piss”.

Defensive Pair Inducted

The time has come to induct two more past players into our new Chelsea Legends section, and fans have voted for a long-serving defensive duo.

Between them they gave almost 30 years to Chelsea, each playing important roles in groundbreaking Stamford Bridge sides as we went from second division strugglers to Champions League contenders.

Steve Clarke joined in February 1987 as an attacking right-back, playing his last game in the Cup Winners' Cup Final of 1998 before returning to Chelsea as first a youth coach and then a reliable right-hand man to Jose Mourinho, and subsequently Avram Grant.

Carlo Cudicini was almost unknown when he arrived on a loan from Castel di Sangro in Italy, but would go on to play more than 200 times between 1999 and 2009, when he eventually departed in search of more first-team opportunities.

We welcome them both into the Legends section, while voting continues for your favourite Chelsea stars of the past.

Chelsea's Florent Malouda Saddened By Joe Cole Exit

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has pinpointed defending the Premier League title as the Blues' priority for next season - though he admits that having to do so without the services of England winger Joe Cole saddens him.

Cole was released by Chelsea and, as Goal.com has revealed, looks to be on his way to Arsenal.

Malouda was unhappy to see his team-mate leave and is uncertain as to the exact reasons for his departure.

"Joe has spent so many years at Chelsea, that it's really strange. I don't know why [he was allowed to leave]," he mused.

"I think everybody enjoyed the way he was committed to the club.”

However, the Frenchman is looking ahead to new targets. And while retaining the Premier League crown will be the club's main aim, on a personal level Malouda's ambition remains bringing European glory to Stamford Bridge by helping Chelsea win the Champions League.

"First is to defend the league. We were fighting last year to get the league back. We have to defend our trophy," he told Sky Sports News.

"After that [it's] the Champions League. I wish in my Chelsea career that I could touch that trophy and lift that trophy, but I won't give up, even if we fail next year, which I don't want, but I won't give up."

As for winning the title last season, Malouda cites the win at Manchester United on April 3 as the key point in the campaign.

"That's where we took the trophy back because after that we knew [with] that one point [lead] we had to defend it," he added.

"To win the league at the last game in the way we did it was incredible. The key was ambition; hard work every day and commitment.

"It was an obsession to become champions."

Sepp Blatter Apologises Over Frank Lampard 'Goal' In England v Germany

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has apologised to England over Frank Lampard's 'goal' against Germany in the World Cup, and has revealed he will 'reopen the file' on the use of goal-line technology in football at a board meeting next month.

Blatter, who has previously stood in the way of introducing any form of modern technology into the sport, also apologised to the Mexican FA over Argentina's controversial opening goal in their last-16 match, when Carlos Tevez was shown to be offside.

A shot from Lampard bounced down off the crossbar and was a yard over the goal-line - but the Uruguayan officiating team did not award a goal.

And this incident - coupled with the Mexican players' lengthy protests after replays of Tevez's goal was shown on the big screen in the stadium, highlighting the officials' mistake - has forced Fifa into a rethink over their policy.

Blatter told a media briefing in Johannesburg: 'It is obvious that after the experience so far in this World Cup it would be nonsense to not reopen the file of technology at the business meeting of the International FA board in July.

'Personally I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a competition or the end of football, this can happen.

'I have spoken to the two federations [England and Mexico] directly concerned by referees mistakes. I have expressed to them apologies and I understand they are not happy and that people are criticising.

'We will naturally take on board the discussion on technology and have the first opportunity in July at the business meeting.'

In March, Fifa blocked attempts by the Football Association to push through further experiments with technology in football.

However, Blatter now appears to have had a change of heart.

He continued: 'It happened in 1966 and then 44 years later - though it was not quite the same.

'I apologised to England and Mexico. The English said 'thank you and accepted that you can win [some] and you lose [some], and the Mexicans bowed their head and accepted it.'

The Fifa president added a caveat by saying only technology for goal-line incidents would be re-examined - not offside decisions such as the one during the Mexico v Argentina match, which Diego Maradona's side won 3-1.

'The only principle we are going to bring back for discussion is goal-line technology,' he explained.

'Football is a game that never stops and the moment there was a discussion if the ball was in or out, or there was a goal-scoring opportunity, do we give a possibility to a team to call for replays once or twice like in tennis?

'For situations like the Mexico game you don't need technology.'

David Silva 'Rejects Chelsea' To Complete Manchester City Transfer

David Silva will join Manchester City in two weeks' time after the Premier League club confirmed they have agreed a deal with Valencia - ending any lingering interest Chelsea had in signing the highly-rated Spaniard.

The 24-year-old, who has been a reported target for several English sides all summer, will sign a five-year contract at Eastlands once the World Cup is over.

Silva is due to fly to Manchester following the conclusion of the tournament in South Africa, and his signing will be confirmed after he completes a medical and puts pen to paper on the agreed deal.

'I would like to thank Valencia as a club and all of their loyal fans, and my team-mates there and staff,' said Silva, who is currently preparing for Spain's World Cup quarter-final against Paraguay this weekend.

'I have enjoyed six years at Valencia, they discovered me as a footballer and they will always be a special club for me.

'But the time is right for me to seek a new challenge, and I am thrilled about playing in England with Manchester City.

'I believe the Premier League is one of the best competitions in the world and I want to bring success to City and win trophies for them.'

City manager Roberto Mancini described Silva as 'one of the best midfielders in Europe' and said he is 'so pleased' to have signed the playmaker for an undisclosed fee ahead of next season.

'I think he can make a big, big impact for Manchester City,' explained the Italian, who is already talking up his side's chances of challenging for the domestic league title.

'In signing David, we are showing the world that we are bringing the best players here and that we hope to compete to win the Premier League.

'When players see what is happening at Manchester City and the ambition they are attracted to what we are building and want to be a part of it.'