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Monaco sign Porto pair Moutinho and Rodriguez for £60m

By on May 24, 2013
Monaco have announced the high profile signings of Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez from Porto

Monaco have announced the high profile signings of Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez from Porto

Monaco have announced the signings of Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez from Porto on their official website, with the French side splashing a reported £60 million for the midfield duo.  Monaco are spending €45 million (£35.8m) on Columbia international Rodriguez, and £25 million for Moutinho, according to Porto’s website.  The French side have signed the midfielders on five year deals, starting their promised wave of big names coming to the club.

Moutinho, 26, and Rodriguez, 21, will come to France after a successful season with Porto, which saw the pair claim the Primeira Liga on Sunday.  The duo helped Porto claim the Portuguese treble of the Europa League, Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal in 2010/11, and Rodriguez’s hat-trick against Vitoria de Guimaraes in the Taca de Portugal final helped Porto claim the cup last season.

The players will move to the affluent French club, who recently won promotion from Ligue 2 and will play in the French top flight again after getting relegated in 2011.  Monaco, who were runners-up behind Porto in the 2004 Champions League, are owned by bankrolled Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, who has promised to bring in high-profile reinforcements in the summer.

Porto said in a statement regarding the transfer: “FC Porto thanks the dedication and professionalism of players João Moutinho and James Rodríguez, who represented the colours of our club for three highly successful seasons, helping the club win three national leagues, three Supercups, one Portuguese Cup and one Europa League. To both, FC Porto wishes the best of luck.”

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Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.