San Lorenzo signs D'Alessandro (4 Feb 2008 18:16 GMT)
Argentine soccer club San Lorenzo said on Sunday it had signed attacking winger Andres D'Alessandro, who currently plays for Spanish team Zaragoza, beating stiff competition from D'Alessandro's first club, River Plate.
D'Alessandro, 26, returns from five years in Europe, where he also played for German Bundesliga team Wolvesburg and English Premier League side Portsmouth.
Only last week, D'Alessandro's agent, Gustavo Mascardi, told media that he was no longer considering San Lorenzo, because of differences over the fee. Mascardi also said that River had more chance of signing the player, even if only as a transfer.
San Lorenzo president, Rafael Savino, told media on Sunday he had traveled to Zaragoza to meet his counterpart there and "now it's done. D'Alessandro will play for a year. He will be managed by Ramon Diaz, who had previously managed him at River, known as "los millionarios" (the millionaires).
San Lorenzo, known as "azulgrana" (the blue-and-reds) did not say how much it paid for the operation, although media in Argentina said that they believe it will pay 3.5 million euros for50 percent of his contract. D'Alessandro will arrive in Argentina on Wednesday.
Manager Diaz had insisted on left-footed D'Alessandro, seeking a very competitive team for Argentina's Closing Tournament and South-America-wide competition for clubs, the Copa Libertadores.
source : Xinhua