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Manchester City signed Brazil forward Robinho for what reports said was a British record fee after Thaksin Shinawatra agreed to sell the Premier League soccer team to an Abu Dhabi investment company on transfer deadline day.

Robinho, 24, joined on a four-year contract, City said on its Web site without disclosing the fee, a day after he held a press conference stating his desire to join Chelsea. City paid Real Madrid 42 million euros ($61.2 million) for Robinho, who will receive 6 million euros a year after tax, Sky Sports said.

``In order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this caliber, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world,'' City manager Mark Hughes told his club's Web site.

City's prospective owners -- Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment -- fulfilled their promise of purchasing a ``high profile'' player minutes before the trade period closed yesterday at midnight London time. City had earlier agreed to a fee for Dimitar Berbatov before the Tottenham striker instead joined cross-town rival Manchester United.

The Premier League champion will pay 30.75 million pounds ($55 million) for Berbatov, Tottenham said on its Web site.

News Courtsey: bloomberg.com

Reggina have officially completed the signing of Manchester City striker 32-year-old Bernardo Corradi. The 32-year-old joined Manchester City from Valencia in 2006, after a poor season in EPL he was trasfered to Parma on loan.

He scored 5 goals in 27 appearances for Parma, but it was of no use as Parma was relegated to Serie B.

21-year-old Brazilian Joao Alves de Assis Silva, popularly known as Jo has joined Manchester City from CSKA Moscow on Wednesday (3rd July 2008).

Jo has played only one international match for Brazil has signed a 4-year contract with the EPL side, Manchester City. This is Mark Hughes's first major signing at Manchester City. Jo moved to CSKA Moscow from Corinthians in 2006.

It had been reported that City expected to pay around 19 million pounds (38 million dollars) for the striker, who scored 44 goals in 77 matches for the Russian club.

"I decided to come to Manchester City because it is one of the clubs who showed more interest in me, although I had other offers as well," Jo said at a press conference announcing his signing.

"After I spoke to the manager (Hughes) I was very pleased.

"I was told Manchester City is a club going forward at the moment. We can go places, that is our objective. We thought about it and I decided to come to Manchester City for that reason."