THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOSCOW — Russian champion Zenit St. Petersburg signed Portuguese midfielder Danny from Dinamo Moscow on Monday for a national record 30-million euros (C$46.4 million).
The UEFA Cup holder was forced to smash the previous Russian record of 16-million euros (C$24.7 million), which it set in 2005 when it bought Maniche from FC Porto, after Dinamo rejected its initial bid.
The fee was specified in the attacking midfielder’s contract with Dinamo.
"Unfortunately Danny has expressed his desire to quit our club," Dinamo said in a statement on its website.
Danny, whose full name is Daniel Miguel Alves Gomes, scored 17 goals in 97 matches over three years with Dinamo. He made his international debut as a 55th-minute substitute in last week’s friendly against the Faeroe Islands.
Zenit, which won its first Russian league title last season, will make its Champions League debut in next month.
It was not immediately clear whether the move for Danny would affect Andrei Arshavin’s position at Zenit. The attacking playmaker has been linked with a transfer to Premier League club Tottenham for much of the past two months.