Figo agrees to Inter deal
2005-08-04 16:32
Milan, Italy - Luis Figo has agreed to join Inter Milan, ending a five-year spell at Real Madrid, news reports said on Thursday.
Figo was expected to arrive in Milan on Thursday evening and undergo medical examinations with Inter before the signing will be officially announced on Friday, the Ansa news agency reported.
Figo, whose contract with Madrid was to expire in June 2006, wanted a two-year contract comparable to the $7.4m deal he reportedly had at the Spanish club.
Reports indicated that Inter had signed him to a $8.6m deal over two seasons and that the move did not include a transfer fee.
"I chose this club because it has the same desire to win that I have," Figo was quoted as saying in Thursday's Corriere della Sera. "I can't wait to start this new adventure.
"The only thing I'm sorry about is that there were too many intermediaries involved in these negotiations. It only required two days, yet it's gone on for two months."
The move makes Figo the third Madrid player Inter has signed this off-season, following Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel.
A former European and world player of the year, the 32-year-old Figo chose Inter over Champions League winner Liverpool, who also wanted his services.
- AP