Sporting Lisbon have sanctioned the €20million (Dh97m) sale of Marcos Rojo to Manchester United with winger Nani returning to Portugal as part of the deal.
Argentina international Rojo, 24, hinted he was poised to move to Old Trafford with Sporting confirming his departure last night.
Rojo will sign a five-year contract, subject to a medical and a work permit, and becomes Louis van Gaal’s third major signing of the summer after Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera.
Tweets published through the Primeira Liga club’s official acc-ount welcomed Nani to the Estadio Jose Alvalade while announcing United had also given Sporting €9m (Dh44m) to help construct their new indoor arena, the Pavilhao, in exchange for securing Rojo’s services. Nani, who moved to Manchester in 2007, is understood to have joined the Lions on a season-long loan, but neither United nor Sporting have confirmed the details.
Rojo is equally comfortable at centre-back as he is at left-back and played all 120 minutes of July’s World Cup final as Argentina lost to Germany after extra-time in Rio de Janeiro.
In an interview with the radio station Continental in his homeland, he said: “It’s a dream to play at Manchester United and I am very proud of having the chance of working with van Gaal. I spoke with Juan Sebastian Veron about Manchester United when we were at Estudiantes. I have always liked English football, and I should adapt to this new playing style easily.”
United’s move for Rojo had been complicated by a row between Sporting and his third-party ownership group, while the player upset his employers by initially refusing to train in a bid to push through the deal, although he later apologised and returned to work.
“There was a misunderstanding, I never wanted to do something wrong at Sporting as I have always been very thankful to that team that gave me many chances for playing in Europe,” Rojo said.
“If I made a mistake, I have already apologised because I didn’t want to hurt the feelings of anyone at the club.”