Sporting’s Cameroonian winger Douala has moved to Premiership side Middlesbrough for a transfer fee of two and half million euros. The speedy flanker will link up again with former team-mate Fabio Rochemback, who moved to the club from north-east England one year ago.
Douala enjoyed an excellent season at Alvalade in 2004/05 were he was a key player in Jose Peseiro’s team that reached the UEFA Cup final, beating Middlesbrough home and away on the way.
However, the Cameroonian had a disappointing season this year and only featured sporadically after Paulo Bento replaced Peseiro as first-team coach.
Meanwhile, Sporting president Filipe Soares Franco has stated that the Lisbon club intend to strengthen the squad in 2 to 3 key areas and guaranteed that young stars Nani and Joao Moutinho would not be sold. “We won’t even listen to offers,” he said.