Just days after it seemed that negotiations had ground to a halt, San Lorenzo yesterday announced that Andres D'Alessandro would join them until the end of the season.

Talks broke down last Thursday after Real Zaragoza's president Eduardo Bandres confirmed that they had not received an acceptable offer for D'Alessandro from San Lorenzo.

Since then, the Argentine club has desperately tried to raise additional finance in order to table an improved offer, which was yesterday accepted by the Zaragoza board.

The fee remains undisclosed, but it is known that a group of investors including television presenter Marcelo Tinelli have bought 50% of the playmaker's economic rights and they will loan him to San Lorenzo for the remainder of the year.

El Ciclón are thought to have an option to purchase those rights off of the investors at the end of this year if they wish to keep D'Alessandro on a permanent basis.

The former River Plate man was the first choice of San Lorenzo coach Ramon Diaz in his attempts to add some creativity to the side for their Copa Libertadores campaign in 2008.

River Plate themselves were initially interested, but were told that D'Alessandro was not for sale and had signed Rodrigo Archubi instead by the time he did become available.

At San Lorenzo he will provide ammunition for regular striker Néstor Silvera and possibly Gonzalo Bergessio, with the Benfica striker close to agreeing a move to the Argentine capital.


What a great signing D'Alessandro is for San Lorenzo, its a pity he won't join until the end of the season though. But he will definately help San Lorenzo in the title challenge next season!