Ex-Barça: Motta to Inter Milan

Italian club Inter Milan has yesterday officially announced the transfer of former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta (26).

The Brazilian defensive midfielder, who leaves his current club Genoa after one season, has signed a four-year contract with the Italian champions.

It's not clear how much Inter Milan has paid for Motta, although the club states that Inter youth players Francesco Bolzoni, Leonardo Bonucci and Riccardo Meggiorini are joining Genoa on a permanent basis as part of the deal. Genoa has officially confirmed the deal.

Thiago Motta came through the Barcelona youth ranks and joined the first team during the 2001-2002 season. In the summer of 2007, the defensive midfielder left for Atlético Madrid. With Barcelona, Motta won two Spanish leagues in 2005 and 2006, two Spanish super cups in 2005 and 2006 and one Champions League in 2006.

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Ex-Barça: Motta to Genoa

On Wednesday, former Barcelona player Thiago Motta (26) has been officially presented as new player of Italian club Genoa.

Since he couldn't find a renewal agreement with Atlético Madrid this summer, Motta was available on a free transfer. The Italo-Brazilian has apparently signed a four-year contract with his new club.

Thiago Motta came through the Barcelona youth ranks and joined the first team during the 2001-2002 season. In the summer of 2007, the defensive midfielder left for Atlético Madrid.

With Barcelona, Motta won two Spanish leagues in 2005 and 2006, two Spanish super cups in 2005 and 2006 and one Champions League in 2006.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Giuly to Paris Saint-Germain
Barcelona could get fee for Motta renewal
Ex-Barça: Mark Hughes to Manchester City

2007-2008: The transfer fees

Barcelona proposed last week its economic balance for the 2007-2008 year. These are the official numbers of the transfer fees paid and received between 1 July 2007 and 30 June 2008.


TRANSFER FEES PAID
Milito: 17 million euro
Cáceres: 16,5 million euro
Piqué: 5 million euro
Pinto: 0,5 million euro
Gudjohnsen: 0,5 million euro variables (for qualifying for last season's Champions League)
Others (probably Barcelona B players): 3 million euro + 1,5 million euro variables


TRANSFER FEES RECEIVED
Deco: 10 million euro
Zambrotta: 9 million euro
Belletti: 5,5 million euro
Giuly: 3,2 million euro + 0,4 million euro variables (for Roma qualifying for last season's Champions League)
Maxi López: 2 million euro
Fernando Navarro: 1,5 million euro
Motta: 1 million euro

Barcelona could get fee for Motta renewal

Atlético Madrid midfielder and former Barcelona player Thiago Motta (25) announced at a press conference yesterday that he has reached a principal agreement with his club to renew for one more year, in which the Brazilian will only get paid if he plays: "We have talked and the renewal now only depends on a little issue with Barcelona."

Catalans sport paper Sport reports that Barcelona let youth product Motta leave for free last summer, but only under the condition that it would receive one million euro° if Motta's one-year contract with Atlético would be renewed in 2008 (note - last year it was generally believed that Atlético had paid one million euro for the transfer and that they had to pay another two million euro° in case of a renweal).

That fee now seems to be an obstacle for a renewal since Atlético does not want to pay it. And after some negative declarations of Motta in recent months about his time in Barcelona, directly attacking and accusing Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain, Barcelona would not be very willing to drop the fee.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo nevertheless claims that Barcelona doesn't plan to play it hard and would already have decided not to demand the sum of 2 million euro.