Manchester City completed their swoop for Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic on Friday as the Premier League club’s close-season spending spree reached £83 million ($126 million, 96 million euros).
Jovetic’s move to Eastlands was revealed on Thursday when Fiorentina announced they had agreed a deal and 24 hours later City confirmed the Montenegro international’s arrival.
“Manchester City are delighted to announce the signing of Stevan Jovetic from Fiorentina,” a statement on the club’s website confirmed.
“The 23-year-old Montenegro international will now join up with his new team-mates over the weekend.”
Jovetic, reported to have cost City £22.4 million, is the club’s latest big-money purchase since the end of a disappointing campaign, which saw the team surrender the Premier League title to bitter rivals Manchester United, as well as suffering an early exit from the Champions League and an embarrassing FA Cup final loss against Wigan.
City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners have responded by hiring new manager Manuel Pellegrini, who replaced the sacked Roberto Mancini, and embarking on a major overhaul of the squad.
Jovetic was officially signed just hours after City had confirmed the capture of Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo from Sevilla.
Negredo, 27, cost a reported initial fee of £16.4 million, which could rise to £20 million with add-ons.
Earlier in the close-season, Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas cost City an initial fee of £14.9 million to lure from Sevilla, while they also splashed out £30 million to sign Brazil midfielder Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Jovetic spent five seasons in Serie A with Fiorentina after previously playing for Partizan Belgrade, where he made club history by captaining the team aged only 19.
He scored 23 goals in 61 games for the Serbian giants before moving to Italy in 2008.
The 23-year-old’s five seasons with Fiorentina yielded 40 goals from 134 appearances, while he has scored 10 times in 27 appearances for Montenegro.
City splash out again to seal Jovetic deal
