Source: Telegraph
Manchester United sign Wigan winger Antonio Valencia for £16m
The Ecuadorian international has signed a four-year deal with United after cutting short his holiday to pass a medical at Old Trafford, becoming Sir Alex Ferguson's first signing of the summer as he starts to spend his £80 million windfall from Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid. The player has always made his desire to move to United clear and on Tuesday night described the transfer as a 'dream come true'.
He said: 'I have enjoyed my time at Wigan, but I am thrilled to have the chance to challenge for the biggest honours in club football here. Playing in front of 76,000 fans alongside players like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs will be an amazing experience. I can't wait to get started.
Transfer TalkSport on television'I hope the fans at Wigan can understand that I am ambitious. I owe so much to this club and I have had a great time here, but a chance like this may never come around for me again.'
The 23 year-old has impressed at Wigan since arriving, initially on loan, in 2006, before Steve Bruce made the move permanent in January last year. Ferguson last night admitted he has been tracking Valencia for some time but expressed his delight at seeing off competition from Real Madrid, as well as a late plea from new manager Roberto Martinez to stay at Wigan, to seal a move which he is believed to have been planning for more than six months.
Ferguson was first linked with Valencia in January - when Real's interest in the former Villarreal player first surfaced - and it is believed he would have tried to bring him to Old Trafford even if Ronaldo had chosen to stay in England.
The Scot said: 'Antonio is a player we have admired for some time now, having spent the last two years in the Premier League with Wigan. I am sure his pace and ability will make a significant contribution to the team.'
That significant contribution is unlikely to be sufficient to replace Ronaldo, as well as Carlos Tevez, who is expected to confirm his move to Manchester City in the coming days. Indeed, the Ecuadorian has managed just seven league goals in three years in the Premier League and, with Ferguson keen to replace Ronaldo's strike-rate, his arrival is likely to be the first of many at Old Trafford.
United are thought to be tracking Sergio Aguero, the Atletico Madrid deep-lying forward, as well Luis Fabiano, the Brazilian international currently with Sevilla, but their hopes of landing Franck Ribery and Karim Benzema appear to be receding, with the former increasingly likely only to leave Bayern Munich for Madrid and the latter intent on staying in France for another season.
Ferguson must also decide whether to add a further wide player to his ranks. Ronaldo's departure will herald a restructuring of the side, with Valencia unlikely to be given the freedom the Portuguese enjoyed from his berth on the right. With doubts over Nani and Park Ji-Sung's ability at the highest level, Zoran Tosic inexperienced and Giggs a fading force, Ferguson may yet choose to move for Valencia's David Silva to provide more balance to the side, while Gremio's Brazilian starlet Douglas Costa remains an attractive, if risky, option.