THE unrelenting flow of money and talent into English football continued at bankbursting speed yesterday with Middlesbrough's breathtaking announcement that they had signed the Italian international striker Fabrizio Ravanelli from European Champions Juventus.
The fee agreed was £7 million and makes Ravanelli the third costliest transfer in English football after Stan Collymore (£8.5 million) and Faustino Asprilla (£7.5 million).
The 27 year old Italian has signed a four year contract at a reported salary of £1.3 million per year.
The deal was done extremely quickly alter Bryan Robson, Viv Anderson and Middlesbrough's chief executive Keith Lamb flew out to Milan on Wednesday, and looks likely to signal a move by German Euro 96 striker Oliver Bierhoff from Udinese to Juventus. Ravanelli will go on holiday before arriving at Teesside towards the end of July.
When rumours of the transfer surfaced at the beginning of the week, Ravanelli issued an "I don't want to go" statement, saying "I've always been a Juventus fan and I wish I could have signed a contract for life but that's the way it goes".
Yesterday, however, he pledged his professional allegiance to his new club. "I'm looking forward to joining Middlesbrough FC and I can assure the supporters that I will give the club 110 per cent commitment in an effort to win trophies."
Robson was equally enthusiastic. "It is a massive signing. Ravanelli is one of the best strikers in the world and is rated as the top Italian striker in Serie A. You have to pay a lot of money to get this type of player but it is fantastic news for the club.
"We have been watching him for a long time and his quality is clear to see. He is powerful and a great goal scorer but he has a strong overall game, too. I have set him the challenge of helping Middlesbrough win our first major trophy."
The signing takes Robson's spending in the past 12 months to £23 million. Nick Barmby Juninho, Branco, Emerson and now Ravanelli are firm evidence of Gibson's desire to make Middlesbrough a major European force, and is all the more astonishing as it comes only 10 years after the club's Ayresome Park gates were locked because of bankruptcy.
