Genoa chief confirms Crespo signing
AFP-Genoa have completed the signing of Inter Milan forward Hernan Crespo, the club''s president Enrico Preziosi said on Friday.
Preziosi met with the 33-year-old Argentine''s agent Fernando Hidalgo in the afternoon and afterwards proclaimed Crespo as a Genoa player.
"It''s an important signing, we''re very happy. Crespo is a great player, a serious lad who we''ve been following for a long time," said Preziosi.
Hidalgo said his client had also had an offer from Fiorentina but they only wanted to give him a one year deal.
"We have agreed on a two-year contract and that''s an important demonstration of confidence in Hernan," he said.
Crespo had increasingly become a bit-part player for Inter this season as he found himself behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli and Adriano (until he left the club) in the striker pecking order.
Preziosi also claimed that the propsed signing of Inter''s Portugal winger Ricardo Quaresma was only a signature away.
"The Quaresma question is very simple, there is an agreement between the two clubs, all we need is the player''s signature," he told Radio Kiss Kiss.
"I don''t believe there will be any big problems but we''ll meet next week to resolve everything."
Quaresma only joined Inter at the beginning of the season but was a complete flop and was loaned out to Chelsea in January.
However, he couldn''t force his way into their team either and has hardly played this season since joining from Porto for 19 million euros last August.
It is the second time a move to a big club has gone sour for the Portugal winger after he also struggled at Barcelona in 2003-04.
Another forward who has signed for the club is Atalanta''s Sergio Floccari, who has scored 12 times for the Bergamo based club this season.
"Floccari already signed last night. There''s just the formality of the exchange of contract with Atalanta but there''s no problems because the lad as already signed and everything''s ok," added Preziosi.
Genoa came close to qualifying for next season''s Champions League this season but just missed out on a top four finish.