Maniche and Constinha are off to...

[eirebhoy]

...Dinamo Moscow!

Porto midfielders Maniche and Costinha are moving to Dinamo Moscow in one of the biggest transfer coups ever staged by a club in the former Communist bloc.

The two Portugal internationals, key members of the Porto side that won last year’s Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, will link up with Dinamo on July 1.

The move was announced on the Porto website, www.fcporto.pt.

A statement read: “Porto have confirmed ... the ceding of the sporting rights of Maniche and Costinha to Dinamo Moscow starting from July 1, 2005.

“The deals are worth respectively 16 million euros (£11million) and four million euros (£2.72million).”

Maniche and Costinha were also in the Portugal team beaten 1-0 by Greece in the Euro 2004 final last summer in Lisbon.

Maniche won a last-gasp call-up by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after a brilliant performance for Porto in their 3-0 Champions League final win against Monaco.

His 16 million euro fee illustrates how much his star has risen over the past 12 months.

I am shocked to be perfectly honest. No.1, what are they doing moving to an midtable Russian club. And 2, €4m for Costinha? They'd have got double that and more for him.

[4tothefloor]

...Dinamo Moscow!


I am shocked to be perfectly honest. No.1, what are they doing moving to an midtable Russian club. And 2, €4m for Costinha? They'd have got double that and more for him.

Yeah, but €20 million for the two is over the top, there is absolutely no way that Maniche is worth that money. It's a bit like the Overmars\Petit transfer from Arsenal to Barca. One of them went for way more than the other, but it was the joint fee that really mattered. Karlos_Irl, our resident Arsenal expert, should be able to recall the exact fees.

[tetsujin1979]

Isn't Dinamo Moscow owned by another of the oligarchs? Think another of them owns Dynamo Kiev as well, funded their run to the UEFA Cup final

[Karlos]

Yeah, but €20 million for the two is over the top, there is absolutely no way that Maniche is worth that money. It's a bit like the Overmars\Petit transfer from Arsenal to Barca. One of them went for way more than the other, but it was the joint fee that really mattered. Karlos_Irl, our resident Arsenal expert, should be able to recall the exact fees.

The total deal (if memory serves me correct) was £25 million which was £20 million for Overmars and £5 million for Manu. A great bit of business by the club but not as good as the £23 million we made Barca's enemies Real madrid give us for Nic Anelka who we bought for £500,000!


In this deal €20 million euro's seems a little excessive for the two. Costinha's in his 30's i think and Maniche must be 26 or 27?? I know arsenal had a €9 million bid in for Maniche last summer so the figures do seem to add up - like the deals mentioned above however, not sure if it was value for money. Great money if you can get it i think,