ISTANBUL, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder signed a 3-1/2 year contract with Istanbul club Galatasaray on Tuesday after leaving Inter Milan and rejecting moves to higher-profile leagues. "I had many offers but Galatasaray was the number one," Sneijder told a news conference a day after hundreds of Galatasaray fans gave him a rapturous welcome on his arrival in Istanbul.

ISTANBUL, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Wesley Sneijder, once one of the world's most outstanding players, arrives in Istanbul on Monday to tie up his move to Galatasaray after surprising pundits by choosing Turkey rather than a higher profile league. Reports said the likes of Premier League side Liverpool were also interested in the 28-year-old, who inspired Inter Milan to a Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble in 2010 before helping the Netherlands finish second in the World Cup.

Jan 20 (Reuters) - Turkish club Galatasaray have agreed terms to sign Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder from Inter Milan, Italy's Gazzetta Della Sport said on Sunday. The agreement was reached following a meeting between the various parties at a Milan hotel, Gazzetta said. Sneijder and Inter fell out in December when the club asked him to extend his contract from 2015 to 2016 for the same overall payment in a move criticised by the world players' union FIFPro.