Monaco's Kondogbia completes Inter switch

What you need to know:

  • Monaco are expected to receive a fee believed to be in the region of 35 million euros.
  • Kondogbia's physical strength, cool head under pressure and technical skill should make him a welcome addition to an Inter side that featured plenty of big names last season but which simply failed to click.

MILAN

French international Geoffrey Kondogbia has completed his "dream" move from Monaco to Inter Milan, signing a five-year deal with the Serie A club after snubbing city rivals AC Milan at the 11th hour.

"Being a part of this great team is a dream come true. I want to be here for as long as possible," Kondogbia told fans after completing his medical on Monday.
"As a kid I used to watch Inter play on TV, and now I'm joining this huge club. I will give my all."

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who spent two seasons at Monaco after joining the Ligue 1 club from Sevilla, is expected to earn four million euros ($4.5 million) a season plus performance-related bonuses after making a last-gasp decision to snub AC Milan.

Monaco are expected to receive a fee believed to be in the region of 35 million euros.

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said Sunday he believed he had tied up Kondogbia's move to the seven-time European champions on Friday afternoon.

"At 1.30 (pm) it was all done," Galliani told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Monaco had given us the green light for the transfer at EUR40m with payment spread over two years, EUR20m and EUR20m."

However Inter flew in with a late, improved offer which appeared to sway the player and his representatives. Kondogbia, who said he was convinced to move to the club by coach Roberto Mancini, is expected to earn more at Inter due to performance-related bonuses.

Galliani added: "After we exchanged the documentation, at 1.30pm everyone disappeared. Obviously they changed their minds or the others offered more."

Galliani has since suffered a backlash on social media, with angry Milan fans demanding his departure after failing to secure the services of the Frenchman, who had been courted by some of Europe's top clubs.

Inter, meanwhile, are rubbing their hands at gazumping their bitter city rivals.

The marauding midfielder, who has been compared to retired French international Patrick Vieira, had also been linked with a move to Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Juventus after showcasing his talents last season when Monaco reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Kondogbia's physical strength, cool head under pressure and technical skill should make him a welcome addition to an Inter side that featured plenty of big names last season but which simply failed to click.

He said seeing fan reactions on his first day in Milan had been a "real pleasure".

"I noticed it right away. It's a real pleasure for me and I hope we can achieve big things together," added Kondogbia.

"I spoke with Mancini a week ago. What he said really convinced me — I don't think you can say no to a club like Inter."

Inter sacked Walter Mazzarri last November and replaced him with Mancini, who had steered the club to seven trophies including three consecutive league titles in his first spell in charge in 2004-2008.

But former Manchester City and Galatasaray handler Mancini failed to provide the remedy as Inter slipped to an eighth-place finish last season, a massive 32 points behind four-time consecutive champions Juventus.