Guangzhou (China), Feb 7 (IANS): Chinese league champions Guangzhou Evergrande announced Friday the signing of Italian international forward Alessandro Diamanti from Bologna on a three-year contract worth 6.9 million euros.

"Diamanti will fly to Spain to join the team Monday once he passes the medical," Evergrande said on its official website, reports Xinhua.

Evergrande, who became the first Chinese side in 23 years to win Asia's top club competition last season, are now training in Spain for the new season.

World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi expects Diamanti to fill in the void left by Argentine midfielder Dario Conca.

Diamanti, 30, is good at free kicks and can play both on the left side and in the middle. He has scored five goals in 19 matches for Bologna in Serie A this season and has been a member of coach Cesare Prandelli's Italian national team.

"Diamanti is coach Lippi's first choice in this winter's transfer market, so we have made every effort to bring him to Guangzhou," an Evergrande club official told Xinhua.