Man United agree terms for Kagawa
Reuters - Tuesday 05 June 2012, 10:06
Manchester United have agreed terms with
Borussia Dortmund for the transfer of midfielder Shinji Kagawa,
the English Premier League club said on Tuesday, with the Japan
international needing to pass a medical and obtain a work permit
to complete the deal.
United said in a statement they expected the transfer to be
completed by the end of June and have already agreed terms with
the attacking midfielder, who has been a revelation in Germany
over the past two seasons.
No details of the fee were released but German media
reported that Kagawa, who has a contract with Dortmund until
2013, would cost United 17 million Euros.
"We would like to thank Shinji for his effort and his large
contribution in two extraordinarily successful years," Borussia
sports director Michael Zorc, who was responsible for bringing
the player to Dortmund in 2010, said in a statement.
The 23-year-old attracted few headlines when he joined
Dortmund for 350,000 euros from then Japanese second division
club Cerezo Osaka but he surprised many by notching 21 goals in
49 league games in Germany.
He won two consecutive Bundesliga titles as well as the
German Cup last season, helping Borussia establish themselves as
the new force in German football.
His creativity and darting runs from the middle of the field
will bring an added dimension to a United side that brought
37-year-old Paul Scholes out of retirement last season to help
their Premier League title challenge.
STRONGLY LINKED
With several midfielders injured, Scholes, who has agreed to
play on next season, ended his six month retirement and returned
in January to play a key role in helping them finish second in
the Premier League behind Manchester City.
Kagawa showed his versatility for Dortmund this season by
replacing injured Mario Gotze after the winter break in a more
advanced playmaking role where he proved to be equally
effective. He also boasts a strong goal-scoring record, netting
13 times in the league last season and setting up another nine
for his team-mates.
United had been strongly linked with Kagawa for months with
manager Sir Alex Ferguson meeting the player in Berlin immediately
after Dortmund's German Cup victory over Bayern Munich in May.
The transfer, if completed, will be a welcome boost for the
19-times English champions after missing out on Belgium
playmaker Edin Hazard who signed for rivals Chelsea on Monday.
Kagawa is currently with the Japan squad who are in the
middle of the fourth round of their World Cup qualifying
campaign. Japan face Jordan at home on Friday, then Australia in
Brisbane on Tuesday after easily beating Oman 3-0 on Sunday.