Transfer talk: Newcastle bring on Ferreyra on loan; Van Persie to miss United opener

Newcastle United

Argentine striker Facundo Ferreyra on Sunday completed a move to Newcastle United after joining foreign stars who refused to play with Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk because of the country’s conflict.

The English Premier League side said they had signed the 23-year-old on a season long loan.

“I like the Premier League and when I knew that Newcastle were interested in me, it was a very easy decision to make,” Ferreyra said in a Newcastle statement.

Ferreyra was one of six foreign players at Donetsk who had refused to return to the country after a friendly game in France in July.

The other five were Brazilians, and at least one, Douglas Costa, has also been linked to a move to the English Premier League.

Four Argentines playing for Metalist Kharkiv have also refused to go back to their club.

The crash of a Malaysian Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine, where government forces are battling separatist rebels, has heightened fears among foreigners in the country, including the football stars.

Ferreyra had struggled to get a regular first team place at Donetsk after joining from Argentinian side Velez Sarsfeld in 2013.

Hamburg

Hamburg say they have signed Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami.

The 29-year-old player joins the Bundesliga side from Napoli and signed a three-year contract. No details of the deal were released.

Hamburg barely managed to escape relegation last season and are seeking to bolster their ranks.

Manchester United

Dutch striker Robin van Persie is set to miss Manchester United’s opening Premier League match against Swansea City after being given an extended break after the World Cup.

Van Persie, 30, did not travel with United on their pre-season tour of the United States, and will not appear in the final friendly against Valencia at Old Trafford on August 12, four days before their first league match.

Manager Louis van Gaal said his compatriot would resume training on Monday and, having missed much of last season through injury, would not be rushed back into the team before he reached full fitness.

“When a player has been on holiday for three weeks they have to train,” Van Gaal was reported as saying by British media.

“I’m sorry but players have to train and Robin needs a full training regime behind him before he can play again. People can criticise me for my decision but I know what to do with players who have had three weeks’ holiday.

“Hopefully, Robin will get his fitness back very fast but, for now, he won’t play. Robin wants to play every game, I know that, but so do the other 30 players in the squad.”

West Bromwich Albion

Nigeria striker Brown Ideye revealed on Sunday that delays over his visa and work permit have prevented him from linking up with new club West Bromwich Albion.

Ideye, 25, joined the Premier League side from Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev last month for an undisclosed club-record fee, signing a three-year contract with an option for a further year.

However, he has yet to travel to the United Kingdom, meaning he missed a pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest last week and is also due to miss a fixture with Port Vale on Tuesday.

“Officials at the British High Commission (in Nigeria) are still working on it,” Ideye told the BBC Sport website.

“The club has fulfilled all the necessary requirements, but I have been told that the British High Commission require up to 15 days to sort this, which is preventing my ability to travel.

“The public holiday in Nigeria last week (Eid) slowed things down a little bit on this side.

“I hope to get it sorted in the next couple of days because I can’t wait to join my new teammates in England.”

The striker admitted that he was likely to miss West Brom’s opening Premier League game at home to Sunderland on August 16.

“I need to join the team first then train with the squad in front of the manager (Alan Irvine) and so far I have not been able to do that,” he said.

Ideye scored 34 goals in three seasons with Ukrainian giants Dynamo, having previously played for Sochaux and Neuchatel Xamax after starting his career in his homeland with Ocean Boys.

He has won 24 caps for Nigeria, scoring five times, but was left out of the squad that reached the last-16 at the World Cup.

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