Davids completes Barça switch

Dutch midfield player Edgar Davids has joined FC Barcelona on loan from Juventus FC for the rest of the season.

Late night talks
The 30-year-old will move to the Camp Nou immediately with Barça having the option of signing the player on a permanent contract. The move was finalised in the early hours of this morning after talks with the player, with Davids passing a medical later in the day to complete the deal. He will not be eligible for the UEFA Cup, having played five times for Juventus in this season's UEFA Champions League.

'Great future'
Davids, whose Juve contract is due to expire at the end of the season, said: "I have been tracking Barcelona' progress, sometimes they have being lacking when it comes to scoring goals but they are a team with a great future." Meanwhile, Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: "Davids is an internationally-known figure with exceptional sporting abilities and a reputation for being a gritty ball-winner."

Friendly faces
"We're very happy with the deal," said Txiki Beguiristain, Barcelona's director of football. "Davids can help us in a lot of ways." Davids will join a large Dutch contingent at Barcelona, with his new team-mates including Phillip Cocu, Michael Reiziger, Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars and Giovanni van Bronckhorst as well as coach Frank Rijkaard and his assistant Henk ten Cate.

Summer ambition
Davids, who will hope to represent the Netherlands at UEFA EURO 2004™ this summer after helping them qualify, played with Rijkaard in Ajax's 1995 Champions League-winning team.