PSG Confirm Moura Signing as Ferguson Declares Transfer 'Amazing'

Brazilian playmaker Lucas Moura has snubbed Manchester United to join French club Paris St Germain, who will reportedly pay the 19 year old international's present club - São Paulo - the astronomical sum of £35m, an ESPN report suggests. Apart from United, Italian club Inter Milan were also looking to sign the youngster. The French club, while confirming the transfer, added that the agreement was from January 2013, for a four year period.

"Paris Saint-Germain and São Paulo FC have reached today an agreement for the definitive transfer of Lucas Rodriguez Moura Da Silva. The player and Paris Saint-Germain have also signed an agreement from January 2013 to July 2017," the statement explained, continuing, "The player will join Paris Saint-Germain and his new teammates in January 2013 for the second half of the season 2012/2013."

The mega-rich French outfit have outspent traditional high-rollers like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City this summer, luring the likes of AC Milan duo Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as well as Napoli's Argentinean forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Meanwhile, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been reported as being furious over losing Moura to PSG and also shocked that any club would invest so much in an inexperienced player. He was quoted in a report by United's official Web site as saying he found it "amazing that a club can pay €45million for a 19-year-old boy".

On the other hand, in what can only be good news for United fans, having earlier lost Eden Hazard to Chelsea and now Moura to PSG, Ferguson has accelerated his efforts to sign Arsenal's Robin van Persie, despite the Gunners doing their best, he claims, to stall any approach and move.

"We've made a bid. They've been trying to negotiate with other clubs. We have to persevere. Hopefully it comes our way. We're trying our best but there's no progress at this moment in time," the Scot was quoted as saying in a BBC report, and adding, "We're not getting any breakthrough with Arsenal. It's difficult to say why they're operating this way. I don't know what their thoughts are because they're not giving anything away."