Real Madrid have announced the signing of 18-year-old midfield prodigy Arda Guler from Fenerbahce.
Guler, who has recently broken into the Turkish national team, has signed on a six-year contract, with Real winning the race for his signature against rivals Barcelona. They will pay an initial €17m (£14.5m) with an estimated €8.5m in add-ons, with a sell-on clause also included in the deal.
The teenager posted on Twitter: “It’s hard to say goodbye, but I had to take this decision to make those who believe in me more proud, to give hope to everyone who is about to give up, and to prove that Turkish youth can achieve anything they want.”
Meanwhile, Paris Saint Germain have signed the defender Milan Skriniar and attacking player Marco Asensio on free transfers, unveiling both players on Thursday.
The Slovakian Skriniar has signed a five-year deal, with his Internazionale contract having expired in June. He joined Inter from Sampdoria in 2017 and made nearly 250 appearances during his time at the club. He also has 60 caps for Slovakia.
The 28-year-old was linked with a move to PSG in January but the two clubs could not thrash out a deal before the transfer window closed. The centre-back’s final season in Italy was interrupted by injuries as he missed more than 20 games in all competitions, including the Champions League final where Inter lost to Manchester City.
“There is always pressure when you join a club like Paris Saint-Germain. I feel it a little bit,” Skriniar told PSG’s website. “But I feel that I am ready to be part of this very big club. I like pressure. I’m a defender so we know what it’s like, you always have to be ready.”
Asensio has also agreed a three-year deal until 2026, after a free transfer. The Spaniard, who broke out at Real Madrid under Zinedine Zidane in the 2016-17 season and scored in that season’s Champions League final, had gradually fallen out of favour at the La Liga club. The 27-year-old made 51 appearances for Real across all competitions last season, scoring 12 goals, but was used mainly as a substitute.
Skriniar and Asensio are PSG’s first signings of the transfer window, announced a day after the club appointed Luis Enrique as manager to replace Christophe Galtier.
