Italian Roundup

Nakamura confirms move to Reggina

TOKYO (AP) -- Yokohama F Marinos midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura confirmed his transfer to Reggina on Thursday, saying he hopes to prosper with the Italian Serie A side.

"With the move to Reggina decided, I look forward to improving myself," Nakamura, who was left off of Japan's World Cup squad, told a press conference.

On Wednesday, local media reported that Nakamura was set to sign a three-year contract with the recently promoted club and that Yokohama and Reggina have agreed to a US$3.5 million transfer fee following a six month loan period.

Nakamura, who has five goals in 21 international appearances, had been linked with a move to Spanish side Real Madrid but the deal fell through after the 24-year-old was left off Philippe Troussier's World Cup squad.

Nakamura will become the fourth Japanese player to move to an Italian club following Hidetoshi Nakata, Kazu Miura and Hiroshi Nanami.

Almeyda joins transfer merry-go-round

MILAN (Reuters) -- Argentina World Cup midfielder Matias Almeyda is set to become the latest Serie A player to change teams as cash-strapped Italian clubs look to swap rather than buy new players.

Inter Milan told Reuters that Almeyda, currently with Parma, would complete a move later Thursday with Inter's Slovak defender Vratislav Gresko moving in the opposite direction.

"It will be concluded today," a spokesman for Inter said.

Former Lazio midfielder Almeyda will link up at Inter with his compatriot, coach Hector Cuper and his Argentina teammate Javier Zanetti.

Gresko, who joined Inter from Bayer Leverkusen midway through the 2000-01 season, came in for heavy criticism after he made a crucial error in Inter's 4-2 loss to Lazio on the last day of the season which allowed Juventus to snatch the title.

Swap deals

Already the close-season has seen a number of swap deals -- several involving the two Milan clubs -- Inter and AC Milan.

Italy left back Francesco Coco has joined Inter from Milan after ending his loan spell with Spanish club Barcelona.

Dutch international midfielder Clarence Seedorf has moved from Inter to Milan as part of the deal.

Defender Dario Simic of Croatia, has moved from Inter to AC Milan as part of a deal which sees Umit Davala, a key member of the Turkey side which surpassed all expectations to finish third in the World Cup, move to Inter.

But Inter has loaned Umit back to his former Turkish club Galatasaray -- at least for the time being.

The lack of resources for the transfer market in Italy means that even clubs who have brought in players without an exchange have opted for free-transfer, out-of-contract players or low-cost deals.

AS Roma have signed Greek defender Traianos Dellas on a free transfer from Perugia and Spanish midfielder Pep Guardiola, also without cost, from Brescia.

Roma coach Fabio Capello has spent nine million euros (US$8.79 million) to bring in defender Luigi Sartor from Parma.

If there are to be any big-money deals before the start of the Serie A season they are likely to involve Italy defenders Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro.

Lazio's Nesta and Parma's Cannavaro have been linked with Inter, Juventus and AC Milan -- but so far none have been willing to reach agreement over a transfer fee.

 

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Reuters contributed to this report.