by GIANFRANCO PANIZO
Diego will be playing for Italian giants Juventus next season after Juve and Werder Bremen agreed to a $34.32 million transfer fee for the Brazilian playmaker on Tuesday.
Diego had also attracted interest from Bayern Munich but ultimately agreed to a five-year deal with the Bianconeri.
Diego, who scored 12 goals this season, will play his final game for Werder Bremen this weekend when they take on Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup Final.
Here are some other stories to get your day going:
Mourinho extends contract
Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him at the San Siro until 2012.
Mourinho, who is already re-loading Inter's roster in preparations for next season's Champions League, was set to be with the club through 2011 but the club wanted to ensure his committment after Real Madrid had expressed interest in the 46-year-old.
The former Chelsea and Porto boss led Inter to its fourth consecutive league title this season but fell at the hands of Manchester United in the knock-out stage of the Champions League.
Gomez to Bayern
Mario Gomez is on his way out of Stuttgart and is likely destined for a move to rival Bayern Munich.
Gomez, who has long been rumored to be leaving Stuttgart, is reportedly set to transfer to Bayern Munich in the coming days for around $42.01 million, a fee that would become the biggest ever in the Bundesliga.
Gomez netted 24 times this season en route to helping Stuttgart to a third-place finish.
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Do you think Diego will help Juventus capture the Serie A title next season? Will Jose Mourinho lead Inter to the Champions League final next year? Can you see Gomez co-existing with Luca Toni and Miroslave Klose?
Share your thoughts below.
Well, keep in mind National-Team-Gomez is still pretty good outside of the Euro08. He’s scored a ton of goals.
Here is what happened at Euro08:
– He was just coming back from injury
– There were rumors going around that Bayern bought him, but he publicly stated he wanted one more year at Stuttgart, and it all happened just days before the matches, so it was pretty stressful on him
– The initial sitter that he missed was definitely his fault, but that rattled him and he never recovered that tourny
– Loew used him the wrong way. he’s a power forward at the center, like Drogba. Loew used him as the 2nd striker behind Klose, and that just didn’t work, plain and simple.
At the club level, Gomez is awesome because he’s allowed to be the primary striker and goal poacher, not an attacking mid or support striker, and so that’s why he shines.
Hey Kris (or anyone who has seen Gomez play a bit), why is club Gomez so much better than mannschaft Gomez? I have seen him play with the national team and I was totally underwhelmed, but I gather he’s a different player for his club.
Welcome to the serie A deigo.
Diego= new nedved
Giovinco= new del peiro (although no one can truly replace him when he does retire)
Juve is going to be stacked, and hopefully madrid can pull some strings and put together a team worthy of brining down barca
@Brian K: You are probably right about Diego. He may shine even more brightly in Italy. Maybe my take on the difference on the style of play was off (like the overwhelming majority of my takes). He might be deadly in Siere A.
Any news on potential transfers for Charlie Davies or Kenny Cooper or Sasha Kljestan or even EJ. Where are these guys heading this summer?
And any chance that Dempsey might move up to a bigger club like Everton or AV or West Ham in the next season or 2. He can sure work for it. Hopefully a terrific next season can help.
Gomez is 1 of the top 10 strikers on the planet. This will only make him better.
The top being David Villa, than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Forlain, Fernando Torres, Luca Toni, Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Messi, Karim Benzema, Van Nistlerooy
Gooch can head for the best. The highest he could hope for is PSG or Marseille. Real Betis is a considerate option if he wants to head to Spain. Any number of lower table teams in Germany want him. I honestly see him heading to France again and to PSG.
If Gomez can keep scoring 20 goals per season, why not? Of course Bayern really needs a goalkeeper, but if they get enough from Ribery, then it’s no problem.
Yeah, I agree with Kris, although I don’t think his performance for Germany matters all that much. The fact is, is he has been flat out dominant in the Bundesliga for the past few years. Regardless of whether he starts for the national team, or of his stinker of a Euro performance, he has still owned the majority of central defenders in the Bundesliga. Its a great pickup for Bayern and a big loss for Stuttgart.
The vets around here know I’m the Stuttgart supporter of the SBI mafia 🙂
With that said, I say with an objective perspective, but one that as a lot of experience watching Gomez every week for 3 years, that he is well worth the money.
First, he has strength like Drogba. He is at his best playing as the lone power-striker with his back to the goal. He is best having wingers or a central play-maker serve it in, and he does his thing. That’s why Stuttgart never has a great 2nd forward.
Second, he has excellent speed, but that’s mostly due to his age.
Third, he goal poaches as good as Van Nistleroy. You should see how he has a knack for always being in the right place at the right time, especially on set pieces.
So club-wise, he was absolutely the best striker in the Bundesliga over the last 3-year period.
National-team-wise… I feel like I need to defend him a little. It’s unfortunate he gets a bum rap from Euro08. That sitter against Poland just killed him. At the time, however, there was transfer speculation of going to Bayern and he wanted to stay at Stuttgart; he was coming back from an injury; and he was crowned as the “best new striker in Europe” before he had a chance to prove it, and I think at his age of 22 at the time, he bent a little.
He is no flop though. He is a beast who’s as smart as he is strong. His only weakness is like Drogba: he doesn’t track back very much on defense.
$40mil? Might a bit much, but Bayern have over $100mil saved up, so it’s well worth the price, especially with Toni going back to Europe and the money they’ll get from that. I’m just sad he’s going to the enemy Bayern and not a different league! 🙁
I’ll be interested to see in who Stuttgart signs as a replacement. Rumor is it’s Gigac from Toulouse, who’ll fit better with Cacau/Marica I think.
Beat me to it Chase. 42M is nowhere close to Ronaldo money.
Nice addition for Bayern, who are also bringing in Olic from Hamberg to form a deadly trio of strikers with Klose. I hope this means they sell Toni. He is a great player, but as someone else said, he isn’t always consistant. I think Bayern could use the money from a Toni sale to help improve thier defense. Sure hope they get rid of Lucio…that guy is a mess.
“That is a ridiculous amount of money for Gomez. He’s good, but that is Cristiano Ronaldo money right there.”
I agree that is an inflated sum for Gomez, but Ronaldo was expected by sold for at least twice that amount in a range of $80-100 million (when converted from pounds or euros).
Gomez’ money is crazy. He is a pretty good player, but for that money, he needs to be Spitze! (tops). His role on the Germany team is not always as starter, even, is it?
If I were Gooch, I don’t know if I would wait until after playing Italy and Brazil. I like Gooch but those 2 teams have players that can make most defenders look bad. I guess it’s good to have confidence in your abilities though.
agree with onyewu to turn down that deal. but smart of BoMo to try to get a rising star, and even pair him up with another american, already on the team. I love to see team america in the bundsliga.
Yeah, I read that Onyewu turned down the Borussia Moenchengladbach deal. It was suggested that he wants to wait until after his summer performances with the USMNT in order to showcase his talents to the bigger teams.
I understand Bayern need to increase their squad depth/bench strength for the next CL campaign,…but that is crazy money for Gomez. Methinks they would have been better off throwing $50M toward ManU in an effort to pry Vidic away from Old Trafford. As Ami Kaiser pointed out previously, they need help in the back.
I have to respectfully disagree with Yankiboy on Diego. I am thinking that he will be a new Brady/Platini/Baggio/Zidane for Juve,…pulling the strings nicely for those around him. I like this move.
For those that don’t know who BoMo is…
Borussia Moenchengladbach (aka Bradley’s team)
Because it’s easier than looking it up on google?
So ……..that striker Bayern is after ISNT Landycakes?
Diego is a sick signing for Juve…they needed some new blood in midfield and boy did they get it.
goff is reporting onyewu turned down an offer from BoMo.
Still don’t get why we convert the transfer fees…
My 4 year old daughter has loved Diego for at least a year or so. Thanks goodness for GolTV’s goal Highlight show. I can replay his goals and assists over and over again and they have the slow motion… It’s money.
At first she didn’t think his name could be Diego because he doesn’t look anything like Dora’s animal rescuing cousin.
Now, if any other player named Diego anything is on tv, she shouts, “That’s NOT Diego!!!”…
I don’t think he will be as big an impact player in Italy as he has been in the Bundesliga (just my opinion based on the style of play) but he is a nice piece to add to pretty much any club.
I agree the Gomez transfer fee is extremely inflated…especially in these times
As long as Bayern build the back line they will be a force in the CL next season. The back line cost Klinsmann his job.
He’s no Landon Donovan either!!!!!
Bayern is committed to building a club with depth for next season much like ManU.
That is a ridiculous amount of money for Gomez. He’s good, but that is Cristiano Ronaldo money right there.
Gomez will fit well in Van Gaal’s squad. They need depth at Sturmer. Toni is hot and cold and could be gone this summer as well in order to groom Meuller.
I also read in German news that Bayern is looking at Real’s Wesley Sneijder, which would make perfect sense, provided Bayern does not let Ribery go in a blockbluster move that sends him to ManU and Ron to Real. Evra is trying to convince Ribery to make the move.