Fiorentina sign Mijatovic

Real Madrid are expected to confirm later today that Fiorentina have signed their Yugoslav striker Predrag Mijatovic.

Fiorentina have paid £13 million for the star whose goal won Real their seventh European Cup title last summer. His emotional response to the recent bombing of his homeland by Nato caused some friction with the Real hierarchy and he was considered a likely candidate to move in the summer. AS Roma broke off talks with the Madrid club over the Yugoslav two weeks ago but Fiorentina stepped in and have signed a four year deal with the 26 year old according to sources in Belgrade.

Mijatovic was the top European goal scorer in the qualification round for the 1998 World Cup in France and is regarded as one of the best finishers in Europe. Fiorentina have added him to a squad that saw Fabrizio Ravanelli return to Italy last month and will again be led next season by Argentine star Gabriel Batistuta. The Florence side were linked with a £13 million move for Parma AC striker Enrico Chiesa but the move for Mijatovic appears to have ended any chance of that.

Real Madrid are also hoping to sell Croatian striker Davor Suker and he has been in talks with several clubs - mainly in London - but his wage demands may make a deal difficult to strike. The Spanish giants are still hoping to spend a large sum on Arsenal's French striker Nicolas Anelka but will find it hard to top SS Lazio's £25 million offer for the striker if he does leave the London club.

Fiorentina are also trying to sign Yugoslav international defender Sinisa Mihajlovic from SS Lazio who may sell if they can sign Parma AC's Argentine defender Nestor Sensini.