According to latest reports, Real Madrid’s new manager, Fabio Capello, has signed Manchester United’s Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, after having secured a transfer for a fee in the region of £8.25-9.5 million (€12-14 million).

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson revealed on Friday that van Nistelrooy had asked to leave Old Trafford before the start of the new season and according to the latest reports, Real Madrid confirmed the move on Saturday.

Van Nistelrooy's request arrived following a turbulent 2005/06 season, being left on the bench for six consecutive matches and suffering a goal drought, which concluded with his walking out of the ground before the final match of the season against Charlton Athletic after having incurred the wrath of Ferguson, saying he omitted him for a “number of issues”.

Manchester United were resigned to selling the 30-year-old forward, with reports suggesting that the club wanted up to £15 million (€21 million) for his signature.

But now the former Juventus boss has managed to sign the former PSV Eindhoven star on a three-year deal according to Spanish sports newspaper Diario AS.

“Van Nistelrooy is a footballer who has succeeded at all the clubs he has played for,” Capello told Diario AS.

“He has scored a pile of goals. He is a forward who can prevail in Madrid.”

Reports have also claimed that Real's sporting director Predrag Mijatovic was in England on Friday to try to broker a deal for van Nistelrooy and today Mijatovic was able to confirm the move.

Capello has also said that he will stop his pursuit of Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who was touted as a Real Madrid target by Real’s new president Ramon Calderon.

Calderon, speaking to skysportsnews the day after he was appointed 10 days ago said regarding a move for Fabregas: “He wants apparently to come here.

“We have been talking to him previously and of course we now have to get in touch with Arsenal, they have the last-word in this,” later saying he saw the likelihood of a move as “70/30”.

But Arsenal have refused to sell the Spain under-21 midfielder, with Capello now saying that he has stopped being a part of his plans saying: “Cesc is not going to come into my plans. We are now going to try to sign others.”

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