Official: Albin Ekdal joins Juventus Options

[JuveJay]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albin_Ekdal

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=647&a=724186

Albin 'Ibra' Ekdal Set To Sign For Juve Today

According to daily Sports newspaper Tuttosport, Juventus are set to officially capture the young Swedish sensation Albin Ekdal today.

There were reports yesterday that the deal was close to being sealed, and this morning's newspapers seem to back that up.

Albin Ekdal reportedly arrived in Turin late last night at around 10.30 pm, and is preparing for his medical, which will be carried out this morning.

If everything goes as planned, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder will officially become a Juventus player, even though he will remain in Sweden until May in order to finish his studies.

Ekdal had to go under the knife for a foot injury, but this has been delayed, as the Bianconeri doctors want to make the final decision on whether he should have surgery or not.

The talented Swedish player will be loaned out to another Serie A team next year, with the most likely candidate being Empoli, who have already been the 'womb' for other Juventus players, including wonder kid Sebastian Giovinco.

The Old Lady managed to beat other big European teams for the signature of this player, including Inter, Arsenal, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven.

Glenn Debattista

Brommapojkarna teenager Albin Ekdal is set to join Juventus, club director Ola Danhard confirms. "A few details remain but I am not worried. Ekdal will stay with us until next spring to graduate. We are proud of him and happy that he has an opportunity to play in one of Europe's biggest clubs."

(IMG:http://www.svenskfotboll.se/files/{28B9F103-7C3F-4201-8623-1A9C4D6FB46A}.jpg)

Albin Ekdal
Position: Attacking midfielder
Club: Brommapojkarna
Age: 18
Height: 1.86m (6'1")
Weight: 75kg

http://brommapojkarna.se/club/member/publi...ic%2Findex%2F11

He is an attacking midfielder who has been likened to Ibrahimovic only because he is a tall Swede really, Swedish insiders have said he is nothing like him, and also that he is not ready for our first team squad so he will surely go out on loan.

[Google Bot]

[Tobinho]

Juve sign Swedish starlet Friday 14 December, 2007

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Juventus have agreed a deal with IF Brommapojkarna for young Swedish midfielder Albin Ekdal.

The Under-18 international is seen as one of Scandinavian football’s brightest prospects and was previously a target for Inter.

Ekdal had a trial with Chelsea in 2005 at the age of 15, but he turned down a contract with the Stamford Bridge side to continue his development in Sweden.

It is reported that the Old Lady will pay £700,000 and that Ekdal will immediately be sent out on loan when he arrives in June.

“A few details remain to be cleared up, but Albin will stay with us until next spring to graduate,” Brommapojkarna director Ola Danhard stated.

“We are proud of him and happy that he has an opportunity to play for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.”

[Tobinho]

Brommapojkarna is the largest football club in Europe in terms of the number of active teams of all ages (in 2007 there were 247 teams and 3,000 players in different series).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/yikes.gif)

[Tobinho]

They're bottom of the league and Ekdal hasn't scored in 15 games. Good luck to him at Juve though.

[JuveJay]

Look on their website, it's mental.

[JuveJay]

I remember they used to be brilliant to sign players from on the old CM series (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grin.gif)

[JuveJay]

They're bottom of the league and Ekdal hasn't scored in 15 games. Good luck to him at Juve though.

He has had several bad injuries this season, plus he isn't a scorer. It's improbable he will ever be a world class player but he has the potential, hence half of Europe were interested in him. A bit of a pin up boy as well, suits the Agnelli model (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Tobinho]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) I'm suprised Berlu wasn't in for him then. Maybe he finds Gourcuff more attractive. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)

[JuveJay]

Another crock then, suits us.

[Tobinho]

Looks like he will arrive needing surgery. Nice.

[JuveJay]

Oh, and he will cost just over €1m.

[JuveJay]

Conclusive proof that he is the new Ibrahimovic:

(IMG:http://www.dn.se/content/1/c6/63/53/70/albin.jpg)

(IMG:http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/1269/zlatanibrahimovicme5.jpg)

[JuveJay]

Martin Ahlin profiles the latest Serie A import Albin Ekdal. The young Swede joins Juve's ranks - already bulging with youngsters

Particulars

Name Albin Ekdal
DOB July 28th, 1989
Height 1.86m
Weight 75kg
Position Midfielder


Background

Ekdal introduced himself to the Swedish audience by being in the starting line-up at this year’s premiere of allsvenskan – the nation’s highest division – for his side Brommapojkarna. There he made his mark by giving a splendid performance as well as being the brain behind his team’s goal in the win (1-0) against bitter rivals Djurgarden.

After an impressive spring, where the 18 year old commanded Brommapojkarna show from his central midfield position, the autumn got off to a terrible start for the newcomers.

The team just won two games the last three months of play, and was eventually relegated. Ekdal? He missed out on the most of it due to a knee injury and before that a serious case of kissing disease.

But things got better for him in the end. He chose to leave the club he had supported and played for since kindergarten. His new home address: Turin, Italy.

The Transfer

"First it felt unreal. Now it just feels great”, Ekdal said to Dagens Nyheter.

“I know I won’t make it in the starting eleven. We’ll see how it turns out to be, but they are bringing me to the club because they think they saw something special”.

Well, indeed he’s a special boy. Ekdal has made 15 appearances for Brommapojkarna this season, scoring in none of them but constantly standing in the limelight.

In addition to those numbers, the midfielder has represented Sweden's U-17s no less than 18 times, netting five for his country. Later on he stepped on the pitch five times with the U-19s.

By the first of January, Ekdal will belong to Juventus, one of the world’s biggest football clubs. The price tag on him has been reported reaching up to €1,050,000, even if it has not been official yet. Five years is the length of his new contract.

He is expected to train with Alessandro Del Piero, despite being almost half of the veteran's age, and get match practice in the “Primavera” team. They could also consider letting him spend a season in another Italian club.

“I think that was the idea from the beginning”, Ekdal confesses. “But after one year of training with the team, you could possibly take another step in your development. I think they wish that as much as I do”.

Other Prospective Buyers

Chelsea discovered Ekdal during the season 05/06. After an initial training he, somewhat surprisingly, turned “Blues” offer down.

“He feels it’s too early to move abroad”, his father Lennart admitted then. “He’s only 16 years old and wants to lay low. I think it’s hard for Swedish boys to adapt to that kind of life”.

Is he mature enough now? Hopefully.

Sweden’s hopes are upon this thin, versatile and elegant playmaker. Nurtured by the nation’s most successful youth academy it will be fascinating to see if this is the start of a flourishing career, if he can follow the footsteps of Lyon’s Kim Kallstrom or West Ham’s Freddie Ljungberg.

Look To The Future

Only the future knows what lays ahead for the talented Swede. Who knows – maybe Roman Abramovich will get to regret the boy’s decision in a few years from now. At least that would be a colossal revenge for former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri, now in… Juventus.

Did you know

Albin Ekdals father, Lennart, is a Swedish TV celebrity.

Article: Goal.com

[Signorina Magic]

he looks like one of those CK models...which is good of course (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)

[Ricky]

Don't want to be a killjoy, JJ, but can you imagine what people would say if an English club signed this player? Stealing and all that?

[JuveJay]

He is playing for a Swedish nursery side, the whole point of that club is to develope players and hopefully sell them on...

[JuveJay]

He had his medical in Turin in January, but he won't join until the summer. There is no official news on the clubs website so I won't call it as official until then.

[JuveJay]

Ekdal signed last Thursday (20th) with the club after medicals, he'll arrive in June.

[ronaldo]

“I know I won’t make it in the starting eleven."

That's the spirit, lad.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)

[JuveJay]

He is a realist, looking at our past record he will be loaned to Crotone never to be seen again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/icon_mrgreen.gif)