Beşiktaş take chance on Quaresma

Beşiktaş JK have signed winger Ricardo Quaresma from FC Internazionale Milano on an undisclosed long-term deal for a fee reported to be in the region of €7.3m.

Portuguese player of the year in 2005 and 2006, Quaresma has struggled to find his form since joining Inter from FC Porto two years ago at the age of 24. He already had four Liga titles to his name, as well as two Portuguese Cups, three domestic Super Cups and the 2004 European/South American Cup, but within months of arriving in Italy he was on the move again. Quaresma spent the second half of 2008/09 in England with Chelsea FC, making just one top-flight start.

The 26-year-old, a product of the Sporting Clube de Portugal academy who spent 2003/04 at FC Barcelona before linking up with Porto, returned to Inter last season but was restricted to three starts in all competitions. Quaresma's loss of club form has seen him drop out of the international reckoning and he won the last of his 25 caps in a goalless draw with Albania in October 2008. UEFA Europa League qualifying contenders Beşiktaş have long admired him, however, and will offer the Lisbon-born attacker the chance to revive his career in Turkey.