Story highlights
- Manchester City announces the signing of Brazil international Fernandinho
- The 28-year-old joins from Ukranian club Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported $48m
- Fernandinho has five international caps for Brazil and joined Shakhtar in 2006
Manchester City have given another signal of their intent to wrest the English Premier League title back from neighbors Manchester United with the signing of Brazilian Fernandinho.
The midfielder has joined the 2012 champions from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported fee of £30 million ($48m).
Fernandinho, 28, has five caps for his country and has played in the last eight European Champions League campaigns for the Ukrainian club.
He told City's official club website: "This is a change, a challenge and a chance that I have been waiting a long time for. Playing in the Premier League is like a dream.
"My ambition here is to win all the titles, the team here is strong, and so is the greatness of the club and the supporters.
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"Professionally this is a spectacular thing. Playing for a huge club in a huge league makes me so happy. I hope I will be able to repay City for what they have done for me.
"I know I will face challenges but I am prepared for them. Every player at a high level faces pressure and must respond and I am ready for that too. I know a lot about City.
"Ever since they expressed an interest in me, I have been learning more."
Fernandinho was an integral part of the Shakhtar side that won the 2009 UEFA Cup, and he also helped them to the quarterfinals of the Champions League in the 2010/11 season.
He won six Ukrainian league titles with the club and four Ukrainian cup crowns.
His last cap for Brazil came in a friendly with Bosnia and Herzegovina back in February 2012 but he has not featured under new national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
City finished a distant second to Manchester United in the race for the Premier League title and the club sacked manager Roberto Mancini last month.
Former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini is expected to take over at the club after he left Malaga at the end of the Spanish season.
City are also expected to tie up the signing of Spain international Jesus Navas in the coming days. The Sevilla winger was quoted as saying the Spanish press that his move was imminent.
He said: "It's a good project and it was the moment to make the step. It was my choice. I'm very happy with the decision. We've been talking with Manchester City for four months.
"The Premier League is a competition where the football is very fast. I'm really looking forward to it. Manchester City are making a great team."
