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Arsenal signed South Korea Captain and move for Werder Bremen's Captain.

2011-08-31T08:33:00.000+08:00

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of South Korea international Park Chu-Young from Ligue 2 club Monaco.

Chu-Young, 26, looked set to leave Monaco for Lille this summer only for Arsenal to swoop late for the striker's services. He has now agreed personal terms with the club and completed a medical.

Arsene Wenger said: "We are delighted to have signed Chu. He will add true quality to our attacking forces and will be a valuable addition to the squad."

Chu-Young said: "I am very honoured and I feel very happy to be at Arsenal. It is a dream to be here and I am really proud to be an Arsenal player. Now I just want to show how good I am and prove myself.

Arsenal are also in talks to sign Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker, with the Germany international's move to Emirates Stadium expected to be confirmed on Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has come under pressure to bolster his squad before Wednesday's transfer deadline in the wake of his side's 8-2 Premier League loss at Manchester United on Sunday.

Wenger indicated he is in the market for a centre-back, and several names have been linked, including Mertesacker, who will also provide much-needed height and experience at the back, standing at 6' 6'' and boasting 75 international caps.

Mertesacker, 26, is the captain of the Bundesliga club and it is reported a fee of around £10 million has been agreed to bring the centre-half to Emirates Stadium as he has entered the final 12 months of his contract.

Germany boss Joachim Low said: ''Per contacted me last night and informed me (about Arsenal's interest). I told the player that I would release him for the day.''

Metesacker is now believed to have passed a medical and agreed personal terms with the Gunners.

Fenerbahce left-back Andre Santos is closing on a move, with South Korea captain Park Chu-Young signed with Arsenal, the Gunners have been linked with a host of other names ahead of Wednesday's transfer deadline, including Chelsea trio Florent Malouda, Alex and Yossi Benayoun.

Red Devils rout Gunners 8-2

2011-08-29T08:22:00.001+08:00

Manchester United utterly eviscerated Arsenal in a one-sided encounter at Old Trafford, eventually running up an 8-2 scoreline that saw Wayne Rooney claim a hat-trick and Ashley Young run riot.

Young scored twice and Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-Sung all got themselves on the scoresheet as Arsene Wenger's side were utterly humiliated on Sunday afternoon, with Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie - who earlier missed a penalty - scoring the Gunners' two consolations.

It always looked like Arsenal would be up against it, after Wenger was forced to name youngster Francis Coquelin in an inexperienced lineup, while Sir Alex Ferguson was able to name the same lineup that comfortably beat Tottenham Hotspur last Monday.

It took just 22 minutes for United to begin their assault on the scoreboard, as Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for the hosts after taking advantage of some shocking communication between Johan Djourou and Wojciech Szczesny. Just four minutes later, the visitors had a chance to get back on level terms, however, after Theo Walcott went down under pressure from Jonny Evans - but Van Persie saw his penalty saved by David de Gea in a passage of play that changed the course of the game. Young almost immediately doubled United's lead with a beautiful curling shot from 25 yards before Wayne Rooney beat Szczesny's outstretched hand from a well-worked free-kick to make it three.

During all that action, United even had to absorb a set-back, as Welbeck was forced off after pulling up with a hamstring injury. Just before half-time, Walcott fired through De Gea's legs to give Arsene Wenger's men a glimmer of hope, but that was to prove short-lived as United came out still firing on all cylinders in the second half. In the 64th minute, Rooney got his second in almost identical circumstances to his first - this time wrong-footing Szczesny at his far post - before three minutes later Nani dinked an effort over the Poland goalkeeper while one-on-one to make it five.

Substitute Park Ji-sung then added a sixth before Van Persie finally got the better of De Gea to reduce the deficit to a mere four - although the action showed no signs of abating. Full-back Carl Jenkinson was then sent off for his second bookable offence after bringing down another substitute, Javier Hernandez, as the Mexican bore down on goal, before Rooney completed his hat-trick from 12 yards after Walcott had given away a silly penalty.

At this point Wenger had his head in his hands, but the humiliation was not quite over, with Young getting his second goal of the game in similar fashion as the 90 minutes came to a close.

Cesc seals Super Cup for Barca with 2-0 win

2011-08-27T09:27:00.000+08:00

Cesc Fabregas scored a brilliant volley to keep Barcelona's non-stop victory parade going with a UEFA Super Cup triumph over Porto.

Fabregas, on the bench until the last 10 minutes, took Lionel Messi's pass on his chest before rifling home to spark scenes of wild celebration from his team-mates.

It means two trophies in 10 days for the former Arsenal man - who won just the FA Cup and a Charity Shield in all his years with the Gunners - with the European and Spanish champions already having the Spanish Super Cup in the bag this season and thanks to Fabregas and Messi's first-half goal, added the UEFA trophy to their cabinet.

The presence of Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez on the bench served to highlight that the best team in the world are now, frighteningly, even stronger than last season.
Yet it had been an uncomfortable start as Barca initially struggled to reach their own high standards. The often-criticised pitch in Monaco's Stade Louis II did not help Barcelona, cutting up almost immediately having been heavily watered and for the first half hour it was Porto who enjoyed the best chances.

A handball by Eric Abidal handed Porto a free-kick in a promising position on the edge of the 'D' but Hulk drifted it over, and Joao Moutinho threatened Barca's goal again with a wicked shot that Victor Valdes turned past the post at full stretch.
Some extravagant step-overs by Hulk took him past Adriano but the Brazilian bent his shot wide.
Barca had only an effort by Pedro lobbed onto the roof of the net to boast of after half an hour, but they slowly started to warm up with Andres Iniesta in particular making light of the pitch with some awesome dribbling.
Xavi had seen a 25-yard shot tipped over before Messi's goal came six minutes before half-time when Fredy Guarin ruined all his side's good work with an awful attempted backpass.
Messi had been slow to get back and he could hardly believe his luck when the ball landed at his feet, and he strolled around Porto keeper Helton for a simple finish.
Porto appeared determined not to waste their good work of the first half with two cracking efforts early in the second. First Moutinho brought another good stop from Valdes and then Guarin fired in a 30-yard thunderbolt that the Barcelona keeper tipped aside.
David Villa, earlier denied by a hasty whistle from Dutch ref Bjorn Kuipers when he should have played advantage, was put free on goal by Iniesta but for once he snatched at the shot and it was easy for Helton.
A stunning length-of-the-field run involving Pedro and Messi so nearly led to a second goal but Helton came off his line to prod the ball away.
Villa made way for Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean winger who joined from Udinese this summer, with Sergio Busquets for Adriano leaving Fabregas sweating as to whether he would get a run-out.
Busquets' misguided header over the oncoming Valdes nearly played Barcelona into trouble but Abidal stretched to clear the loose ball ahead of Kleber.
Fabregas was given 10 minutes to shine by Pep Guardiola, coming on for Pedro, almost immediately to be hacked down by Guarin who earned himself a yellow card.
Porto's hopes were all but extinguished when Rolando was given his marching orders for hauling down Messi and earning a second bookable offence.
Then came Fabregas' moment, Messi's clip over the defence, the former Arsenal skipper controlling the ball on his chest and then volleying high into the roof of net.
Guarin ended a miserable night for him personally and Porto with a straight red for a nasty lunge on Javier Mascherano.

City in the UCL group of death

2011-08-26T02:34:00.002+08:00

Roberto Mancini's side may not have to face any domestic champions, but theirs is the standout group - with four-time champions Bayern determined to get to the final at their own Allianz Arena, Villarreal able to boast plenty of Champions League experience in recent years and Napoli emerging as one of the most exciting sides in Europe over the past 12 months, led by Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani.

Elsewhere, holders Barcelona will meet Italian champions AC Milan in one of the more enticing group stage match-ups, though those two will be comfortable favourites to progress from Group H, which also includes BATE Borisov and Viktoria Plzen.

Manchester United will have the chance to avenge the hurt of their 2005-06 Champions League campaign when they take on Benfica in Group C - the Red Devils finished bottom of their group six years ago after losing to the Portuguese giants in their final group game. FC Basel and Romanian minnows Otelul Galati make up what appears to be a fairly straightforward group for United, who were beaten by Barcelona at Wembley in May.

Group E provides a renewal of old acquaintances as Juan Mata makes an immediate return to Valencia with Chelsea, while former Blues midfielder Michael Ballack will be back at Stamford Bridge with Bayer Leverkusen. Belgian champions Racing Genk will face an uphill task to qualify as the group's fourth team.

Real Madrid and Lyon meet again, in Group D, as Jose Mourinho attempts to repeat the success he enjoyed against Les Gones in last season's second round, when the Spanish side won 4-2 on aggregate. Real will also be reunited with Dutch champions Ajax, whom they beat home and away in the 2010-11 group stage. Dinamo Zagreb make up the numbers.

In Group B, Inter Milan were drawn with CSKA Moscow, whom they beat in the quarter-finals on their way to glory in the competition in 2010, as well as French champions Lille and Trabzonspor.

After beating Udinese in Wednesday's play-off to progress, Arsenal will take on Marseille, Olympiakos and Borussia Dortmund in Group F, while Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg and APOEL will collide in Group G.

After the group stage draw, Lionel Messi was named the winner of inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for 2010-2011. Messi's team-mate Xavi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo were the other nominees.

Messi named Best Player in Europe

2011-08-26T02:28:00.002+08:00

Lionel Messi starred again for Barca in 2010-11 and was named man of the match in the Champions League final
Messi claimed 38 votes for the newly-created award, putting him some distance ahead of Barcelona team-mate Xavi, in second place with 11 votes, and third-placed Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who received just three votes.

The UEFA Best Player in Europe Award is given to players on the basis of their performances for club and country. The award is designed to replace the old Ballon d'Or award for the best player in Europe, which has been supplanted by the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world.

Messi enjoyed a hugely successful season with his club, scoring 31 goals in the league to help clinch the league title and putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final victory over Manchester United.

"I'd like to thank all the people that voted for me, and all my team-mates," Messi said. "I keep all these awards at home and I still have some space for more. It's an honour to be so successful and to come up with the goods at the right time - thanks to my team-mates for helping me achieve this.

"[My motivation] comes from being at a club that's so successful and having a structure that allows us to be so successful. That was taught to me when I moved over and I've tried my best to keep it up."

UEFA Best Player in Europe 2010-11 top ten

1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
2 Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
4 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
5 Falcao (FC Porto)
6 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
7 Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan)
9 Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
10 Manuel Neuer (FC Schalke)

Fenerbahce ban from playing in the Champions League

2011-08-25T00:53:00.000+08:00

ISTANBUL Turkish champion Fenerbahce has been removed from the Champions League because of an ongoing match-fixing investigation.

Turkey's Football Federation says it has withdrawn Fenerbahce after meetings on Wednesday.

Fenerbahce's removal comes 24 hours before it was to take its place among 32 elite European clubs in the group stage draw being conducted in Monaco.

It is unclear how UEFA will choose a team to replace Fenerbahce, which is suspected of fixing matches to win the title last season.

Runner-up Trabzonspor was eliminated in the Champions League qualifying rounds but has also been implicated in the match-fixing probe.

Chelsea finalise Juan Mata signing

2011-08-25T00:40:00.000+08:00

Chelsea have completed the signing of former Valencia attacker Juan Mata on a five-year deal.

The Spain international joined with his new team-mates at the club's Cobham training ground on Wednesday, and will be available for selection for the weekend's Premier League fixture against Norwich.

"Right from the first moment there have been good feelings all around me," Mata said. "Training has been great and the players are a great group to train with.

"Valencia was a big club anyway but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here."

Having spoken with Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas before completing his switch to Stamford Bridge, Mata - who is predominantly left-sided but can play across the attack, usually off a main striker - expects to be deployed in many positions to try and increase the side's attacking threat.

"He said he wanted Chelsea this season to play more attacking football, and that I would be a big part of that," he said. "Villas-Boas is someone who won almost everything last year and we are both here with the idea of winning lots this season.

"The plan is that I can play on either flank or even in the middle playing in between the lines of midfield and attack. I like to keep the ball and use it well, I am an attacking player and above all I like to set up goals and score them also."

Mata also revealed he spoke to fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres, who encouraged him to make the move to London. However, while Torres has struggled to settle in Chelsea colours, Mata hopes he can fit in immediately and bring success to the club in his first season.

"I want to adapt as quickly as possible to my new surroundings, my colleagues and this league, and I would love to win a trophy in my first season," he said. "If it can be the Premier League then great."

Mata spent four years at the Mestalla, scoring 43 times in 179 appearances.

Ferguson tells snipers to lay off Wenger

2011-08-24T22:49:00.001+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has leapt to the defence of under-fire Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, claiming it is "ridiculous" that there are calls for the Frenchman to be axed.

Wenger and Manchester United boss Ferguson have had tremendous battles down the years and have often had verbal spats in the heat of battle. But there is huge respect between the pair and Ferguson has hit out at the criticism of Wenger.

With Arsenal having gone six years without winning a trophy and lost arguably their best player in Cesc Fabregas this summer, the knives are out for Wenger following a poor start to the new season.

And with the sale of Samir Nasri to Manchester City completed,the Gunners will also face a crunch Champions League play-off second leg at Udinese with a depleted squad, there have been some questioning how much longer Wenger's 15-year tenure at the club will last.

But Ferguson believes Arsenal will not find a better manager than his old rival and has urged Wenger to reach for a set of earplugs.

"It's a crazy world we're in," Ferguson said. "It's a critical world and you only need to lose a couple of games to have critics howling down at you.

"All the talk is about Arsenal and Arsene leaving. But who can replace him? It's the most ridiculous situation. The man has been simply unbelievable. He has given Arsenal platforms they never thought they'd get to.

"He should carry on. He shouldn't listen to the critics. The one thing you need in this game is earplugs."

Despite Ferguson's sympathy for Wenger, he will be looking to pile on the misery for Arsenal, who only have one point after two Premier League games this season, when his United side host the Gunners at Old Trafford this Sunday.

Liverpool plan shock return for Craig Bellamy and eye Sebastián Coates

2011-08-23T23:40:00.001+08:00

Liverpool have moved ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City in pursuit of the towering young Uruguay defender Sebastián Coates and are ready to offer Craig Bellamy a sensational return to Anfield.

The Wales international has been frozen out completely by Roberto Mancini at City but remains at the club on a £95,000- a-week contract. Bellamy's wage has surprisingly not deterred several Premier League clubs and Celtic from trying to prise the 32-year-old from the Etihad Stadium but Liverpool are willing to offer the striker a lucrative contract providing no transfer fee is involved.

Bellamy, a boyhood Liverpool fan, spent one season at Anfield in 2006-07 but struggled to make an impact under Rafael Benítez and was sold to West Ham United for £7.5m after 27 appearances and seven goals. He was an unused substitute in the 2007 Champions League final defeat by Milan and was destined for the Anfield exit from the moment he attacked his then team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club during a supposed team bonding exercise in Portugal.

The striker could be joined at Anfield by Coates, the 20-year-old centre-half who was named best young player at this summer's Copa América where his performances for the tournament winners Uruguay – in the same team as Liverpool's Luis Suárez – increased interest from several Premier League clubs.

As the Guardian revealed last month, scouts from Arsenal, City and Liverpool all monitored the 6ft 6in Coates in Argentina, with Arsenal also believed to have watched the defender playing for his club side Nacional, the champions of Uruguay, a dozen times last season.

Liverpool, however, with the advantage of the Suárez connection, have emerged as Coates's most likely destination in the Premier League and could cost Fenway Sports Group, the club's owners who have already sanctioned a £110m recruitment drive this year, a fee of around £12m.

Man City agree terms for Nasri

2011-08-23T23:24:00.002+08:00

Arsenal have agreed terms with Manchester City over the transfer of midfielder Samir Nasri and he is set to undergo a medical at the club on Tuesday afternoon.

Nasri had asked to be left out of the squad to face Udinese in the Champions League play-offs as talk of a £25 million move increased and now the Gunners have revealed that a deal is almost done.

A statement read: ''Arsenal can confirm that they have agreed terms for Samir Nasri to move to Manchester City. The 24-year-old midfielder, who has spent three years with the Gunners, has been omitted from Arsenal's squad which flies to Udinese this afternoon and instead will travel north for a medical. The move will be subject to Nasri passing a medical and formal registration processes.''

Arsene Wenger said: "The summer was very difficult because we had Cesc Fabregas and Nasri on permanent transfer negotiations and that is draining in the end. We lost two great players and that's a sad side of the story but at some stage it has to be over, because you want to focus on the future.

"The decision had a logic but it is of course, as well, a business interest. But, overall, what you want is that you have players who do not play and think they go the next morning. It's not ideal as well.

"So you want players who are completely committed to the long-term, to defend our chances. We wanted to sort all these cases out very early after the summer, but it wasn't possible. And the pace is not only dictated by us, unfortunately."

Nasri, who signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2008 from Marseille for a fee of £15.8 million, had previously rejected a new £90,000-a-week contract to stay at the club and only had one year left on his current deal.

Arsenal agree Cesc deal with Barca

2011-08-15T14:04:00.000+08:00

Despite Arsenal insisting throughout the summer that they would not sell Fabregas for less than £40 million, it is thought that a £35 million fee has finally been agreed.

Manager Arsene Wenger said: "We have been clear that we didn't want Cesc to leave and that remains the case. However, we understand Cesc's desire to move to his home town club and have now accepted an offer from Barcelona. We thank Cesc for his contribution at Arsenal and wish him future success."

Fabregas, who joined the Gunners from Barca as a 16-year-old in 2003, will now agree personal terms and undergo a medical on Monday before sealing his return to the Nou Camp.

The midfielder's move will bring an end to a saga that sparked into life last summer when Fabregas told Wenger that he wanted to return to his boyhood club. Wenger stubbornly refused to let the Spain international leave at that time, but just over 12 months later he has given up on the battle to keep the wantaway star.

It has been suggested that Fabregas is willing to take a pay cut in order to force through the move, underlining his desperation to join the Champions League winners.

He played no part in Arsenal's pre-season campaign or their Premier League opener at Newcastle, with Wenger citing a lack of focus and a niggling injury.

Fabregas, who has won 58 caps for Spain, winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, made 303 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 57 goals in all competitions and claimed the record for youngest first-team player and goalscorer.

His departure will increase the pressure from fans on Wenger to use some of the transfer fee to bring in a big-name signing before the end of the transfer window. Shakhtar Donetsk claim that Arsenal have shown an interest in Brazil international midfielder Jadson, while Wenger is known to be keen to add a central defender.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to hold on to France international Samir Nasri, a target for Manchester City and a player who the Londoners could lose on a free transfer next summer when his contract expires.

Ordinarily Nasri would have been earmarked as the natural successor to Fabregas in a central role but, with his future up the air, Wenger may be forced into the transfer market.

Chelsea fire blank.

2011-08-14T23:51:00.000+08:00

New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas' introduction to the Barclays Premier League proved to be a testing and frustrating affair as his side were held to a goalless draw at Stoke.

The Portuguese may have raced to the league title with Porto and also won the Europa League last season but nothing could have prepared him for the challenge he met at the Britannia Stadium.

Having withstood considerable pressure in the first half Chelsea dominated after the break but the closest they came was when goalkeeper Asmir Begovic tipped Nicolas Anelka's shot onto the crossbar.

If Villas-Boas was under any illusion about how tough English football was then he was given a typical example by Tony Pulis' terrier-like Potters.

It was not necessarily the physicality of the challenge Stoke presented but more the incessant pressure which they put their opponents under.

There was no respite, no time for players to linger on the ball and certainly no way anyone could switch off for a second as the Potters were relentless from the first whistle.

A Rory Delap throw and a couple of Jermaine Pennant corners caused some early consternation in Petr Cech's penalty area and set-pieces continued to cause problems throughout.

Late in the first half Jose Bosingwa and Cech managed to keep out Matt Etherington's inswinging free-kick under the crossbar at the near post after John Terry had stopped Kenwyne Jones in his tracks.

Terry appeared to be the centre of everything, the ball bouncing off his shoulder after Jon Walters had flicked it over him and ending in a heap with Ryan Shawcross in the six-yard box as they tussled for a corner.

But for all their endeavours Stoke's attack could not match the quality of their opponents.

Villas-Boas firmly pinned his colours to the mast by naming Fernando Torres ahead of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka and he would have been encouraged to see the Spain international starting to show glimpses of the form he enjoyed at Liverpool.

One surging first-half run from the Spaniard, who has scored just once in 19 appearances since his £50million January transfer, was reminiscent of his Anfield heyday.

His body language looked more positive and after a full pre-season his fitness worries appear to be behind him.

He was the target for some close attention, with Stoke captain Shawcross booked in only the 10th minute for clattering the striker having missed with his first attempt.

Torres responded by dragging a low shot just wide and, in first-half injury time, bundling another off target under pressure from Shawcross.

But threats came from other areas and Salomon Kalou went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Glenn Whelan only for referee Mark Halsey to wave play on.

Bosingwa's cross-cum-shot was tipped behind by Begovic while Ramires' run and cross into the six-yard box failed to pick out a team-mate.

The tide turned after the break and Jonathan Woodgate, making his Premier League debut having left Tottenham in the summer, was a key figure in keeping Chelsea at bay.

First his slide diverted Frank Lampard's shot behind and then he blocked Torres six yards out as he swivelled to shoot from Terry's downward header.

Lampard was convinced he should have had a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Marc Wilson but the England midfielder looked to be heading to ground anyway.

Begovic was then called into action, tipping over a John Obi Mikel dipping volley and touching substitute Anelka's curling shot onto the woodwork before Kalou headed straight at the goalkeeper from eight yards as Chelsea continued to threaten.

It was Kalou's last involvement as he was replaced by Drogba with 15 minutes to go.

But even with their three front-line strikers on the pitch the visitors found their opponents as obdurate as ever and Torres eventually made way for Yossi Benayoun late on.

The result secured only Stoke's second point in seven league meetings.

At the age of 33 Villas-Boas has proved he is a quick learner. What he will have discovered after an afternoon at the Britannia is that the curve gets steeper from here on in.

Arsene Wenger reveals to close friends that he is preparing for his final season as Arsenal manager

2011-08-14T02:46:00.001+08:00

The Frenchman has three years remaining on the new contract that he signed last summer but has privately conceded that his tenure at the club is coming to an end.

The longest-serving manager in Arsenal’s history has already begun considering other options in football because he fears his powerbase will eventually be diminished by new owner Stan Kroenke and has been shocked by the growing criticism he has received from supporters over the last 12 months.

Wenger met a Manchester City delegation led by chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood at a hotel in Kensington, west London, in May although there is no confirmation that the Frenchman either sought to or was asked to replace Roberto Mancini at Etihad Stadium.

Nevertheless, the Arsenal manager held informal talks with the new owners of Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain this summer to discuss the prospect of him taking over as manager at the French club.

PSG - who have spent heavily on new players, including €43 million on Javier Pastore, over the last two months - targeted Wenger as their No.1 choice to use the club’s financial muscle to restore their place at the summit of French football and establish them among the Champions League elite. The club has not won Ligue 1 since 1994.

Wenger, who owns an apartment close to PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, rejected the opportunity although he admitted in an interview with a Strasbourg TV station in June that he has long-standing friendships with senior officials at the club. It is believed that the Arsenal manager has had a loose arrangement for many years to advise PSG on transfers and recruitment strategy.

One source said that Wenger has established a “great relationship” with the French club’s Qatari investors, who could make another move for him if PSG underachieve this season under new sporting director Leonardo and coach Antoine Kombouare.

His relationship with Arsenal supporters has become increasingly tense over the last year, particularly after the club extended their trophy drought to six years following a disastrous finish to last season.

Wenger promised that he would be “very active” in the transfer market in the summer as he pledged to rebuild a team that has faded badly in recent campaigns and, while he has spent relatively large sums on two attacking midfielders, Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the new Premier League season about to kick off, he has yet to address the club’s chronic defensive frailties.

Gervinho and Barton both start and got into trouble with each other.

2011-08-14T02:28:00.000+08:00

Summer signing Gervinho goes straight into Arsene Wenger's starting eleven as Arsenal take on Newcastle, with Joey Barton a surprise selection from Alan Pardew.

The Ivorian winger will play just off Robin van Persie alongside Andrey Arshavin and Tomas Rosicky. With Cesc Fabregas' departure to Barcelona imminent, Aaron Ramsey will be tasked with dictating the game in midfield alongside Alex Song.

New signings Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both receive bench places for the Gunners, as do forwards Marouane Chamakh and Theo Walcott.

Barton had been made available on a free transfer after making a string of remarks regarding the running of the club on his Twitter account, but will start in midfield alongside new signing Yohan Cabaye as well as Cheick Tiote and Jonas Gutierrez.

Newcastle also hand a starting place to new striker Demba Ba, who will lead the attack with Shola Ameobi. Shola's brother Sammy could appear from the bench; the 19-year-old made his professional debut at the back end of last season.

The goal less game where the highlight was During 76th min where Gervinho is sent off for his rather embarrassing dive in the Newcastle box. Before that, however, the incident brought the very worst out of Barton, who goes at indulges in a bit of slap and tickle with Gervinho, before himself going down like a sack of spuds after Gervinho appears to hit him. Barton was cautioned too.

Newly promoted QPR trashed at home 0-4.

2011-08-14T02:12:00.000+08:00

QPR's first top-flight game at Loftus Road since 1996 ended with a disappointing defeat by Bolton - and what appeared to be a serious injury for Kieron Dyer.

Last season's Championship winners had started brightly, summer signing DJ Campbell seeing an effort ruled out for offside, before Dyer, signed on a free transfer from West Ham, fell awkwardly and had to be carried off with a reported broken metatarsal.

Bolton took the lead on the stroke of half-time with a fine curling effort from centre-back Gary Cahill.

An own goal from Danny Gabbidon, making his debut, and Kevin Davies' deflected strike effectively had settled matters ahead of a fourth for Fabrice Muamba following a swift counter-attack with 11 minutes left.

QPR defender Clint Hill was shown a red card in stoppage time.

Some of the 15,000 home support headed for an early exit, venting their frustrations at shareholder Flavio Briatore, who could soon sell up to Lotus Formula One boss Tony Fernandes, watching from the director's box.

Things could have been so different had Campbell, who impressed for Blackpool last season, not seen his early close-range effort disallowed.

Then, on five minutes, Dyer, who has completed 90 minutes only once in his last 29 Premier League matches, stretched for a 50/50 challenge and landed awkwardly, leading to extensive treatment before the former England midfielder had to be carried off on a stretcher, his foot already in a protective boot.

Bolton, who faded badly after their FA Cup semi-final defeat last season, soon settled, with new arrivals Nigel Reo-Coker and Chris Eagles both playing well in midfield.

On the stroke of half-time, they were ahead when Eagles fed Cahill, who had stayed up from a corner.

The centre-back, a target for Arsenal, took one touch before curling a sublime effort into the top left corner.

After 56 minutes, QPR captain Adel Taarabt, who has been linked with a big-money move away during the summer, finally found some space on the edge of the Bolton area, but his shot flew wide.

Bolton, though, were 2-0 up after 68 minutes.

Davies won a free-kick when bundled over by Alejandro Faurlin just outside the area on the left.

Eagles low delivery was deflected off the wall and across the six-yard box towards the far post, where Gabbidon put the ball into his own net.

Before QPR could mount a recovery, Ivan Klasnic made it 3-0 when he drilled home via a deflected effort off Bradley Orr after a knockdown from Davies.

Warnock made a double change on 72 minutes, replacing Tommy Smith and the disappointing Taarabt with Heidar Helguson and Akos Buzsaky.

Cahill was booked for tripping Shaun Derry on the edge of the Bolton penalty area, but Buzsaky hit the free-kick into the wall, which just about summed up Rangers' afternoon.

Fabrice Muamba swept in number four after a flowing counter-attack and QPR's miserable day was compounded when Hill was shown a straight red card for pushing his head into Petrov's chest as the pair tussled on the near touchline during stoppage time.

Dalglish believe that nervousness cost them 2 points.

2011-08-14T02:06:00.000+08:00

Kenny Dalglish believes that nerves may have affected Liverpool's new signings in their 1-1 draw with Sunderland on the opening day of the season.

Four summer signings - Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing - made their Liverpool debuts at Anfield on Saturday.

On a frustrating afternoon for Dalglish's side, the Liverpool players appeared to tire in the second-half and the Scot believes that his troops may have felt drained because of the occasion.

He said: "The four boys who came in would have had nerves. It's a big ordeal coming out to play your first game at Anfield, especially for Jose Enrique who only signed yesterday.

"I thought they all did something in the game that you will remember them for. We are happy with them and they will improve.

"I think the players were a little bit nervous. Like I said, it's a big deal making your debut at Anfield."

Liverpool took the lead in the 11th minute through Luis Suarez's glancing header but were pegged back by a fierce volley from Sebastian Larsson 12 minutes after the restart.

But Dalglish felt the key moment of the game was the award of a sixth minute penalty for the hosts after Kieran Richardson brought down Luis Suarez in the box.

The Uruguayan subsequently missed the spot-kick but Bruce felt referee Phil Dowd should have shown Richardson a red card as Suarez was through on goal.

"I suppose nine-and-a-half out of 10 referees would have sent Kieran [Richardson] off," said Bruce.

"You don't want to see people sent off. I don't know what the rulebook says but it was a clear goalscoring opportunity. Luis Suarez was one-on-one with the goalkeeper - you can't get any clearer than that.

"I think over the game, for their effort and commitment, a draw was probably about right. They worked really hard."

Schalke thrash Koln

2011-08-14T01:52:00.000+08:00

Schalke thrashed Koln 5-1 to pick up their first points of the Bundesliga season after a 0-3 reverse to Stuttgart on the opening matchday. It was the visitors who took a surprise lead, when Lukas Podolski finished off Slawomir Peszko’s pass following a fast break. However, Schalke were level just before half-time, when Klass Jan Huntelaar stroked home a spot-kick after Kevin McKenna handled inside the area.

Within three minutes of the restart, Schalke were 3-1 up after Marco Holger set up both Huntelaar and Lewis Holtby. The scoring continued on the hour mark, when Jan Movarek found Raul inside the area, and the veteran striker made no mistake from 10 yards out. Huntelaar completed the rout five minutes from the end with a simple finish to Jose Jurardo’s cross to round off his personal treble.

Schalke starts this campaign positively compared the last season when they found themselves bottom of the league for a nearly a month.

Philadelphia Union are set to announce the signing of Freddy Adu

2011-08-12T06:55:00.000+08:00

Freddy Adu is set to return to the MLS with Philadelphia Union
USA international Adu, 22, has endured a difficult time in Europe since leaving Real Salt Lake for Benfica in 2007, spending time out on loan with Monaco in France, Belenenses in Portugal, Aris in Greece and Caykur Rizespor in Turkey.

He is now said to have agreed a return to the MLS with the Union, and the club have confirmed on their website that "a player introduction is scheduled to take place Friday at PPL Park".

Asked about the club's efforts in the transfer market, head coach Piotr Nowak said: "We're working on it. We're working very hard to make it happen."

Tuncay announces Bolton move via Twitter

2011-08-12T06:47:00.000+08:00

Tuncay Sanli has announced on Twitter that he has signed a contract with Bolton Wanderers.

Turkey international Tuncay, 29, left Stoke to join Wolfsburg in January but he has now announced that he is making a return to the Premier League in what is believed to be a season-long loan move.

He tweeted: "Medical passed, contracts signed...Officially a Trotter!!!"

Bolton begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to newly-promoted QPR on Saturday but Tuncay will not be available for the game.

He added: "My work permit needs updating and it cant be done b4 next week Tuesday:( Will be in LDN on Sat but only 2 watch the game from the stands:(("

Player strike to disrupt Spanish season

2011-08-11T20:42:00.000+08:00

The Spanish professional footballers' union (AFE) has announced they will go on strike and delay the start of the new La Liga season in a row over a wage guarantee fund.

AFE said on Thursday that Spanish first and second division fixtures will be affected for the first two weekend's of the 2011-12 league season.

"We are unanimous and firm in our decision to call a strike," AFE president Luis Rubiales said. "The league will not start until a new agreement (between the league and the players) has been signed."

Rubiales is demanding the introduction of a fund to protect players' wages if clubs become insolvent.

Last season a mid-season strike by AFE, over the non-payment of around €4 million in players' wages owed to various footballers in the Segunda Division, was called off after a late agreement was reached.

The La Liga season is scheduled to start on the weekend of August 20-21.

London weekend games in doubt

2011-08-10T12:49:00.000+08:00

The Premier League and Football League have said they will make a further statement on Thursday over whether more fixtures will be postponed after the rioting in London and other major UK cities.

London in particular has been hit hard by the violence which has already seen Carling Cup fixtures postponed and two international friendlies - England v Netherlands at Wembley and Ghana v Nigeria at Watford's Vicarage Road - called off.

With unrest continuing around the country, many expect the opening weekend of the Premier League to be disrupted, but both leagues maintain that they will consider all the options and make a decision within 24 hours.

''The Premier League and Football League are saddened by the recent incidents of civil unrest and the effect it is having on local communities,'' a joint statement read. ''We are in on-going discussions with our London-based clubs, the Metropolitan Police and statutory authorities in regard to the staging of the coming weekend's fixtures in the capital.

''The Metropolitan Police has conveyed to us the dynamic nature of the current situation and with that in mind all parties will review the situation on Thursday and make a further public statement at that time.

''With the information currently available to us there is no reason to think any matches outside of London will be affected. We are conscious of the need to keep fans informed of any developments and will, of course, keep them as up-to-date as possible through club, league and media channels.''

Anzhi Makhachkala ready to spend 115 million euros to get Samuel Eto'o

2011-08-09T23:49:00.000+08:00

Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala is ready to offer Inter 35 million euros for Samuel Eto'o, offering the player a four-year deal worth €20m per annum in a spending spree that will cost them 115 million euros in total, Goal.com Italy understands.

Inter is reportedly trying to offload some of its highest earners this summer and Eto'o is being eyed by Anzhi, who are looking to flex its financial muscle.

Negotiators for the Russian outfit are expected in Milan on Tuesday night to make its offer directly to Inter president Massimo Moratti as it joins the race for the Cameroon star.

No expenses will be spared as the first offer will be worth 35 million euros to the Italian club, in an attempt from the Russians to convince Moratti to part company with the man he signed from Barcelona in 2009.

The player will be enticed with a four-year contract offer which pays 20 million euros a year, more than double his current €8m terms at San Siro.

Part of the income will then be used to spend on Genoa's Juraj Kucka, who coach Gian Piero Gasperini wants in his midfield.

Kucka has been booked in by Inter as a target for next summer, but director Marco Branca is working on a deal to bring him during this transfer window.

Obertan to join French revolution at Blackburn

2011-08-09T23:37:00.001+08:00

Obertan, 22, moved to Old Trafford from Bordeaux in 2009 but he made just four Premier League starts for the club and has now been allowed to move on.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew told the club's official website: "Gabriel is a player I've watched for the last couple of seasons since he arrived at Manchester United. He has great pace and excellent technique and he has improved his power in the last 12 months and is ready now to make a real impact in the Premier League.

"I contacted Sir Alex about him early, at the start of the summer, to see if there was an opportunity to bring him to Newcastle, but it wasn't until Wayne Routledge joined Swansea that we were able to bring him in.

Obertan joins fellow Frenchmen Hatem Ben Arfa, Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux and Mehdi Abeid at St James' Park.

Radosav Petrovic has now completed his move to Ewood Park

2011-08-09T23:25:00.000+08:00

Blackburn have completed the signing of Partizan Belgrade midfielder Radosav Petrovic.

Petrovic, 22, has signed a four-year contract with Blackburn after having received a work permit. The 6ft 4in defensive midfielder has made 19 appearances for Serbia, having made his debut for the country in August 2009.

Petrovic started his career at hometown club FK Jedinstvo Ub. A move to Radnicki Obrenovac followed, before he moved to Partizan in the summer of 2008.

He was named in the Serbian league team of the year for the last two seasons and is currently with his international colleagues ahead of Serbia's international match against Russia in Moscow on .

Blackburn face a race against time to make sure Petrovic is eligible for Saturday's Premier League opener against Wolves at home.

He is the club's second signing this summer, following Dundee United striker David Goodwillie to Ewood Park.

Japan to honour Matsuda

2011-08-09T23:20:00.000+08:00

The Japan national team have vowed to use their upcoming friendly against South Korea to honour the memory of Naoki Matsuda, who died from a heart attack last week.

Keisuke Honda said the current Japan team was influenced by Naoki Matsuda
Matsuda, 34, suffered a heart attack during a 15-minute warm-up run before training with his club Matsumoto Yamaga last Tuesday. He was taken to hospital unconscious and slipped into a coma. He was placed on life support but did not regain conciousness.

Alberto Zaccheroni's squad gathered on the pitch at Atsubetsu Stadium on Monday before training to observe a moment's silence for 2002 World Cup defender. Following the session, Japan and CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda said Matsuda would be in the team's thoughts throughout the match.

"I'm sure there were so many things he still wanted to achieve. Everyone is devastated," Honda told Kyodo.

"All of us here watched the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and have been influenced by the way he played. In fact it is because of how well Matsuda played that we are all here today. I'm so grateful for that."

Cleverley called into England squad

2011-08-09T00:50:00.001+08:00

Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been drafted into the England squad to face Netherlands.

Cleverley, 21, put in a fine attacking performance against Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday bringing comparisons with the now-retired Paul Scholes and, with news that Jack Wilshere and Michael Carrick have been withdrawn from the squad to face Holland at Wembley on Wednesday, has been given a chance to shine.

An England insider told ESPNsoccernet: ''Fabio has been impressed with this player for a while, but has seen him played on the wing. He was very impressed when he saw him in central midfield at Wembley against Manchester City."

Wilshere's ankle injury has been described as "not a big problem", but it is too much to keep him with the England party, as ESPNsoccernet was told "we don't wish to jeopordise the player with the new season approaching".

The same goes for Carrick whose Achilles injury is described as worse than it was on Sunday, while Frank Lampard is also running a high temperature with a touch of flu and will be assessed on Tuesday whether he too will be forced to withdrawn.

Cleverley spent last season on loan at Wigan Athletic, making 25 Premier League appearances, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Now back at United, he is expected to be part of Sir Alex Ferguson's plans.

An integral member of the England Under-21 side at the European Championships in Denmark in June, Cleverley could now make the step up into the senior side despite never having made a competitive appearance for United.

And Ashley Young has backed his new Manchester United team-mate to grasp his England opportunity with both hands.

''Tom is worthy of his place in the squad,'' said Young. ''I actually thought he might have been in it earlier. It is a massive achievement but I have worked with him for a few weeks now.

''He did really well on tour and his performance yesterday, for such a youngster, was excellent. He is a confident person and controlled the game.''

Oxlade-Chamberlain close to Arsenal

2011-08-09T00:42:00.000+08:00

Southampton winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is undergoing a medical at Arsenal ahead of a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Chamberlain, 17, was the subject of a £10 million bid - made up of a £5 million down payment and a number of performance-related add-ons - which was rejected last week, but Arsenal have returned with a higher offer.

According to reports the Gunners have now agreed to pay £15 million for the England Under-21 international, with an up-front fee of £12million plus a possible further £3 million through add-ons.

Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong appeared to confirm the move, saying on his Twitter account: ''new player young and british.''

Oxlade-Chamberlain, contracted at Southampton until 2013, is regarded as one of England's most promising young footballers. The teenager played a key role in helping Southampton secure promotion to the Championship last season, firing nine goals in 34 appearances.

Known for his pace and ability to beat defenders, he can operate on either side of the pitch. His style has invited comparisons with Theo Walcott, who also left Saints for Arsenal, though Oxlade-Chamberlain is a better defender who is comfortable in central midfield as well as out wide.

Manager Arsene Wenger is also rumoured to be close to signing Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell as a replacement for Nicklas Bendtner, who is expected to leave the club this summer.

Arsenal are also keen to bring in at least one experienced Premier League defender as Thomas Vermaelen limped off against Benfica at the weekend, with Birmingham's Scott Dann, Everton's Phil Jagielka and Bolton's Gary Cahill all possible targets.

United's the best of Manchester in Community Shield

2011-08-08T00:01:00.000+08:00

The English Premier League season could not have had more of an exciting start as Nani scored twice and Manchester United rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 3-2 victory over rival Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on Sunday afternoon at Wembley.

The Portugal winger had already netted with a jaw-dropping leveller in what turned out to be the highest-scoring of these encounters since 1992.

He then capitalised on Vincent Kompany's blunder to win a game that seemed City's for the taking after Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko had taken advantage of David de Gea's hesitancy.

But Sir Alex Ferguson's introduction of three younger members of his squad at the break triggered a comeback for which United are so famed, Chris Smalling setting the ball rolling six minutes after the restart, triggering a richly-deserved victory charge for the Premier League champions.

It had been some 24 hours for Danny Welbeck.

Selected for England ahead of Jermain Defoe yesterday, he started this afternoon's showpiece was part of a scintillating performance from the Red Devils that lacked only an opening goal.

Between them, Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Nani and new signing Ashley Young cut City's midfield apart. Had United's final ball been better, they surely would have got their noses in front.

As it was, Lescott got in the way of efforts from Young, Smalling and Welbeck. Rooney curled a free-kick narrowly wide.

City's tackling grew increasingly desperate and after Mario Balotelli and Dzeko had got themselves embroiled with Nemanja Vidic and Anderson respectively, Micah Richards was fortunate to stay on the field for a studs-first lunge on Young that sent the former Aston Villa winger flying.

Referee Phil Dowd felt the need to issue some strict instructions to Blues skipper Kompany after another shuddering lunge from Nigel de Jong, this time on Welbeck.

How quickly circumstances can change.

Ferguson has already admitted to taking a gamble on De Gea, who - at just 20 - is being asked to fill the boots of a man with twice his age in Edwin van der Sar.

It had been accepted by Old Trafford's coaching staff that some work was required in the weights room for De Gea to have the best chance of dealing with the more physical nature of English football.

His lack of bulk may be the reason why he opted against coming for Silva's teasing free-kick seven minutes before the break. Neither Vidic nor Rio Ferdinand got themselves in position to make a challenge and Lescott calmly flicked it into the corner.

It got even worse for United, and De Gea, in stoppage time.

Dzeko was given far too much room in midfield to decide what to do with James Milner's square pass and after advancing 10 yards, lashed a fine shot into the United net.

It was one of those that, on first viewing, appeared to be De Gea's fault. Replays showed there had been some movement as the ball flashed in, which made life harder for the Spain Under-21 international.

However, there was a degree of culpability and clearly, De Gea is on a steep learning curve, not just in his goalkeeping but also United's DNA.

Ferguson's response was to replace three of his most senior players - Vidic, Ferdinand and Michael Carrick - at the break and introduce a trio of youngsters in Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Tom Cleverley.

Within six minutes of the restart, Smalling had dragged the champions back into it, touching home Young's free-kick after Dzeko had completely failed to track his run.

Then came the equaliser, with Rooney, Nani and Cleverley opening City up with a devastating series of short passes before Nani beat Joe Hart with a delicate chip.

De Gea showed his raw talent by beating away a ferocious goalbound effort from Adam Johnson, then palming Richards' powerful header over.

The City duo were two of 14 Englishmen involved. The oldest member of United's second-half side was Young, at 26, during a spell following the departure of Patrice Evra and Dimitar Berbatov's introduction.

It was a taste of the future, with Cleverley in particular electrifying until he hooked an excellent chance over from eight yards.

The pity was it took a blunder to win it, Kompany failing to read Rooney's clearing punt, allowing Nani to rob him and charge forward, rounding Hart before tapping home.

Lukaku set to move to Chelsea

2011-08-07T23:10:00.000+08:00

Chelsea have agreed a fee with Anderlect for the transfer of precocious Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku, who will complete a move to Stamford Bridge subject to him passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.

Romelu Lukaku is set to become Chelsea's third summer signing
Lukaku, 18, has been linked with the Blues throughout the summer, but appears set to finally seal a switch to the three-time Premier League champions.

"An agreement has been reached with Anderlecht for the transfer to Chelsea of striker Romelu Lukaku," a statement on Chelsea's official website said. "The move is now subject to the player passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.''

Anderlecht also confirmed the news on their official wesbite: "RSC Anderlecht and Chelsea have reached an agreement regarding the transfer of Romelu Lukaku.

"Subject to the results of medical tests and the conclusion of negotiations between the player and the English club, Romelu Lukaku will therefore move into the colours of the London club.''

Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck added: "We regret the departure of Romelu...but the agreement is a win-win situation for the player and RSC Anderlecht. The club's management is committed to finding a good replacement in the short term. We wish him every success for the rest of his career.''

The player posted a comment on Twitter which read: "I have an announcement to make...Next week I'm going to London for the medical tests.''

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is now closing in on the third signing of his reign, and admitted after Saturday's friendly against Rangers that a deal was close.

"He is a very interesting young prospect and the situation is now that we have to position ourselves to maybe get this kind of talent," Villas-Boas said. "So I would say that anything can happen.''

Lukaku scored 16 goals in 37 league appearances last season and already has two to his name in two games in the current campaign for the Brussels club.

Gunners trio suffer injury problems

2011-08-07T23:00:00.000+08:00

Arsene Wenger is sweating on the fitness of Arsenal trio Robin van Persie, Kieran Gibbs and Thomas Vermaelen.

Van Persie sustained a painful-looking injury during Saturday night's 2-1 friendly match loss against Benfica, and received lengthy treatment following the knock. He did not enter the fray for the second half.

Wenger has revealed left-back Gibbs and centre-back Vermaelen have also picked up issues ahead of the club's Premier League opener against Newcastle next weekend. The Gunners then face Udinese in the Champions League before tackling Liverpool.

First asked about Van Persie, Wenger said: "It is an ankle problem, I don't know how bad it is. Gibbs has a muscular [thigh] problem and Vermaelen has a slight back problem."

Gunners midfielder Jack Wilshere has been selected in Fabio Capello's England squad for Wednesday's friendly with the Netherlands, despite the youngster suffering an ankle injury at the Emirates Cup.

Wenger said: "They can include him as much as they want, he will not play [because of injury]."

Which part of Manchester is Sneijder heading to?

2011-08-07T00:19:00.000+08:00

Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini was allusive when questioned about Wesley Sneijder's future, following a report that Manchester City are poised to sign the Netherlands international.

On Saturday, Gazzetta dello Sport ran a story claiming Manchester City were set to land Sneijder, 27, for a fee of €36 million despite the playmaker being heavily linked with their rivals Manchester United.

City have since played down the speculation, and now Gasperini has had his say. He said: "Wesley Sneijder? We'll see. I don't know. We'll think about it next week if there is this development."

Gasperini was speaking after Inter's 2-1 Italian Super Cup loss against AC Milan in Beijing. Sneijder had opened the scoring with a terrific free-kick only for goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kevin-Prince Boateng to turn the game on its head.

Barrios injury worse than feared

2011-08-04T01:42:00.000+08:00

Borussia Dortmund have suffered a blow as they prepare to start the defence of their Bundesliga title on Friday by learning that striker Lucas Barrios will be sidelined for longer than first feared.

Barrios, a Paraguay international who has scored 35 goals in 65 Bundesliga appearances for the Westphalians, picked up a thigh injury while representing his country at the Copa America last month.

The initial diagnosis indicated a break of two to three weeks, but after returning to Germany at his club's request to undergo further tests, the true extent of the damage to his thigh has emerged.

''It is not a pretty story,'' reported Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp on his club's website. ''The tear to the muscle fibres is a lot larger than we were told. The injury is far worse than Paraguay's team doctor had told us.''

Barrios willingly accepted his club's request for him to return to Germany early since, according to Klopp, the player ''clearly did not feel he was being well looked after over there''.

''He is expected to be out for five to six weeks,'' added Klopp. ''This is very annoying and casts a shadow over our relationship with the Paraguayan Football Association.''

Klopp will now be without his top goalscorer from last season until mid-September, meaning he could also miss the club's first fixture in the Champions League.

Chelsea midfielder Yuri Zhirkov to move to Anzhi

2011-08-02T23:47:00.000+08:00

Chelsea midfielder Yuri Zhirkov is set to complete a £13.2 million move to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.

The Russian midfielder has already met up with Anzhi coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev as he looks to complete his move to the Russian Premier League outfit.

Russian giants Zenit, Dinamo Dynamo Moscow and Rubin Kazan were also keen, but the club from Makhachkala looks likely to win the race for the 27-year-old.

Anzhi defender Rasim Tagirbekov has revealed that Zhirkov is on the verge of joining the club.

“Yury is a great footballer. The team are very happy that he is coming to our club. It’s a very good signing for Anzhi. Zhirkov already had a chat with the head coach and almost all of the players,” Tagirbekov was quoted as saying.

Backed by the billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov, Anzhi have already signed Roberto Carlos, Mbark Boussoufa and Balasz Dzsudzsak among others, while the club also made formal bids for Santos star duo Neymar and Ganso.

Javier Pastore: I will be joining PSG

2011-08-02T23:32:00.000+08:00

Javier Pastore has said he will be leaving Palermo to join Paris Saint-Germain once he has his medical with the French club.

Last week Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini revealed he had agreed to sell the 22-year-old Argentina international for a €43 million transfer fee.

And, speaking through his agent's official website, Dodici Corporation, Pastore said he is in the process of finalising his move to the Parc des Princes.

"You can say I am officially a PSG player, but I just need to have my medical and sort out other details. I am anxious to try this new adventure, PSG are a great club with great history," Pastore said.

Pastore is already eyeing trophies with his new club who recently signed former Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu as they reunite in Ligue 1.

And, speaking of Palermo and his Sicilian memoirs, Pastore said: "I have the best memories and I want to thank my former team-mates, the directors and the fans.

"I leave with happiness, but inside my heart there is a little sadness."

Pastore joined Palermo in 2009 from Huracan and he played 69 Serie A games during his time in Italy.

Sergio replaces Jefferies at Hearts

2011-08-02T23:22:00.000+08:00

Hearts have appointed former Sporting Lisbon coach Paulo Sergio as their new manager.

Jim Jefferies was sacked on Monday with reports quickly emerging that Sergio was being lined up to take over at Tynecastle.

And the 43-year-old Portuguese who managed Sporting for six months last season, was duly appointed on Tuesday morning with the club confirming Jefferies has rejected an offer to become director of football.

Jefferies told the club's official website: "Even though I'm disappointed at leaving the club and everyone knows my strong connection to Hearts, I'd like to thank the club for the opportunity myself and Billy have had in the last 18 months.

"I also appreciate the offer to develop in a new role at Hearts, however it has perhaps come too soon and it might be something that I would consider at a later date.

"I want to wish the players and staff all the best for the forthcoming season and I'll certainly be hoping the boys can do the business on Thursday night.''

The Hearts players were reportedly told by much-maligned owner Vladimir Romanov on Monday that a manager "with European experience'' was needed at the club and they were due to report to Tynecastle on Tuesday to meet their new boss - whose Sporting side were knocked out of the Europa League in the last 32 by Rangers in February.

Romanov, whose seven-year tenure at Tynecastle is littered with managerial casualties including John Robertson, George Burley, Graham Rix, Valdas Ivanauskas and Anatoliy Korobochka, was at Tynecastle on Sunday to see Hearts lose 1-0 to Dundee United in the Scottish Premier League.

The Jambos are without a win since the 3-2 defeat of St Mirren on March 19 - a run of form which is reported to have influenced Romanov's decision.

However, Hearts started the season with a 1-1 draw against Rangers at Ibrox in the SPL and followed it up with a 1-1 draw against Paks in the first leg of their Europa League qualifier in Hungary.

Director Sergejus Fedotovas said: "We would like to thank Jim for his service to the club. He has supported us in our efforts to develop the team and the wider squad and we have enjoyed a good working relationship.

"The club did offer Jim another senior position but we understand his reasons for not accepting this and we wish him well for his future career beyond Hearts.''

Tottenham find Modric replacement

2011-07-31T22:21:00.000+08:00

Tottenham are weighing up a move for Lyon midfielder Miralem Pjanic, as they prepare for life without Luka Modric.

The Croatian midfielder has already expressed his desire to leave the club and could do so by the end of the transfer window, but Harry Redknapp has already identified his replacement.

The experienced boss is pondering a £10 million move for Lyon playmaker Miralem Pjanic, according to the Sunday Mirror.

The Bosnian midfielder has failed to earn a regular starting place at Lyon and is widely looking to leave Gerland this summer.

The 21-year-old is, nevertheless, considered a great prospect for the future and already has a lot of experience for a player of his age.

Pjanic not only has a similar playing style to Luka Modric but is also of the same stature as the Croat, which is another reason why Redknapp believes he would be the perfect replacement for the 25-year-old.

Swansea agree Routledge fee

2011-07-31T22:13:00.000+08:00

Swansea City are poised to clinch a £2 million move for Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge, while they are also closing on Middlesbrough frontman Leroy Lita.

Both players are expected to undergo medicals early next week and could feature in Wednesday's night's friendly with Celtic.

"The bottom line is that we need to have a good squad, and these two are players who are going to help us stay in the league," boss Brendan Rodgers said at Swansea's pre-season training camp in Austria. "They have both played in the Premier League before, they are both hungry to push on and they both have pace."

Lita, 26, made his name with Reading in the Premier League, while former England Under-21 man Routledge's career stalled after he was tipped for the top at Crystal Palace, when he failed to make the breakthrough at Spurs or Aston Villa.

Most recently he impressed on loan at QPR, but Newcastle have decided to cash in and spend the money elsewhere in their squad.

Sneijder snub City interest - await for a possible move to Old Trafford

2011-07-31T00:47:00.000+08:00

Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder has reportedly snubbed Manchester City's interest in his services in favour of rivals United.

The Dutch playmaker has been linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the transfer window with the clubs reportedly set to agree to a 27.5 million euros fee.

But rivals Manchester City also enquired about the midfielder, only to be told he was more interested in joining English Premier League champions United.

"City were also put off by Inter's asking price, which is also a problem for United because of his salary expectations."

"United have told Inter they will pay 27.5 million euros for Sneijder. Inter have said they want 40 million euros, although they could be willing to sell for 35 million euros."

Talks have stalled between the parties but it is likely a deal will be reached with new Inter coach Gian Piero Gasperini no longer considering Sneijder indispensable.

If Sneijder makes the move, Inter are likely to make a bid for want-away Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez.

The Argentine's representative, Kia Joorabchian, was reportedly in Milan on Thursday to speak with Inter officials.

Sporting Lisbon signs Grenoble's Atila Turan

2011-07-30T09:41:00.000+08:00

Sporting Lisbon has completed the signing of Grenoble left-back Atila Turan, the Portuguese club has announced.

The France Under-19 international reportedly joins Sporting on a free transfer following a wage dispute with Grenoble.

Turan has penned a five-year contract which will keep him at the Estadio de Alvalade until the summer of 2016, with a 30 million euro buy-out clause inserted into the deal.

At his official presentation, Turan praised Sporting's project and the products of the club's youth ranks.

"I know that [Luis] Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo played here. I know [coach] Domingos, who was the coach of Sporting Braga and he is very competent," Turan said. "I had other offers, but I was enthusiastic with Sporting's proposal from the start."

Turan has now become the 13th summer signing made by Sporting.

Sabella named new Argentina coach

2011-07-30T01:33:00.000+08:00

Alejandro Sabella was appointed Argentina coach following the removal of Sergio Batista
Sabella, 56, coached Estudiantes to the Copa Libertadores and had been due to take charge of Al-Jazira in the United Arab Emirates before Batista's exit, which was prompted by a disappointing Copa America showing.

Jose Luis Meiszner, the general secretary of the Argentine Football Association, told Telam: "The decision has been taken. Sabella is the choice."

Sabella will be instructed to make a success of one of world football's most talented squads, where he will be able to pick from the likes of Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain and Angel Di Maria, amongst others.

Eagles and Mears join Bolton

2011-07-30T01:21:00.000+08:00

Bolton have completed the signings of Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears from Burnley.
Owen Coyle worked with Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears at Turf Moor

Midfielder Eagles, 25, and defender Mears, 28, have both agreed three-year contracts.

"Both Chris and Tyrone are top players and have shown that they have the ability to compete successfully at the highest level," Owen Coyle said. "I have worked with them both before and know what they will bring to the club in terms of character and commitment and along with Nigel Reo-Coker, we have added real quality to the squad."

The pair become Coyle's third and fourth signings of the summer after the arrivals of Darren Pratley and Reo-Coker.

"I know that it is a good squad so the challenge for me will be to work hard and then look to contribute," Eagles said. "I am an attacking midfielder and I will certainly be looking to chip in with some goals."

Mears added: "I'm really looking forward to working with a manager I've worked with before and playing in the Premier League. From the outside looking in, this has seemed like it is a club going in the right direction.

"It wasn't a difficult decision at all. I know exactly what the manager expects from his players and I'm more than ready for it."

Jurgen Klinsmann replace Bob Bradley as the US coach

2011-07-30T01:11:00.001+08:00

Jurgen Klinsmann was hired by the United States Soccer Federation to be the next coach of the men’s national team on Friday. Goal.com reported yesterday that the former Germany boss was the favorite for the position and Gulati was finally able to reach an agreement with the 46-year-old coach.

“We are excited to have Jürgen as the head coach of our Men’s National Team,” said Gulati. “He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program. Jürgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field.”

A resident of the United States, Klinsmann has been passionate about the growth of soccer within the country. He has a good relationship with U.S. star Landon Donovan and has been working as a consultant for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC. He is excited to finally have the opportunity.

“I am proud and honored to be named the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team,” said Klinsmann. “I would like to thank the U.S. Soccer Federation for the opportunity, and I’m excited about the challenge ahead. I am looking forward to bringing the team together for our upcoming match against Mexico and starting on the road toward qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

The USSF announced that Klinsmann will have his first press conference as head coach on Aug. 1 in New York. His first game will be against Mexico in a friendly in Philadelphia on Aug. 10.

Sporting move for £9m Bendtner

2011-07-29T00:32:00.000+08:00

Nicklas Bendtner is set for a fresh start away from Arsenal as the Denmark striker closes in on a £9million move to Sporting Lisbon.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger last week revealed the 23-year-old had been given permission to miss the friendly against Cologne and training camp in Germany "to sort out his future".

Bendtner, pushed further down the pecking order following the £11million arrival of Ivory Coast forward Gervinho, was photographed in Portugal and is expected to push through the formalities of his move over the weekend.

Two other Arsenal players who look set to miss the Emirates Cup - which will see former Gunners striker Thierry Henry return to the club with New York Red Bulls - are captain Cesc Fabregas and England winger Theo Walcott who is injured.

Fabregas, who remains the subject of a £30million transfer bid by Barcelona, has not featured at all during pre-season, training with the youth squad this week as he works on a hamstring injury, which, officially at least, has been the reason for his extended absence.

With Bendtner's departure set to follow that of long-serving defender Gael Clichy, Wenger is likely to quickly reinvest those transfer funds, which could be boosted by a further £4million should Emmanuel Eboue join Galatasaray.

Valencia's Juan Mata has long been on the Arsenal manager's radar, and his £15million signature would go some way to offsetting the impending departure of Fabregas, as well as guarding against the uncertain future of contract rebel Samir Nasri.

But Valencia claim they do not intend to sell and say the player is happy at Mestalla.

Lita: Boro striker set for Swansea switch

2011-07-27T22:27:00.000+08:00

Leroy Lita is set to complete a move to Swansea after they agreed a fee of around £1.75million with Middlesbrough for his services.

The two clubs have agreed a deal for the former Reading striker, who will meet Swans' officials on Wednesday to discuss personal terms.

The 26-year-old has just 12 months remaining on his contract at the Riverside Stadium, where he's scored 20 goals in almost 80 appearances.

But, speaking to The Northern Echo, Boro manager Tony Mowbray said there's a long way to go before the move is finalised.

He said: "Leroy was going to see what was on offer. It's not cut and dried, not at all. We have agreed a fee with Swansea. It doesn't mean much

"I've had a good chat with him. He has a chance to play in the Premier League and good on him. His talent has earned him that chance. If he comes back then I'm sure he will work hard to get in this team."

£70million bid for Brazilian striker Hulk Rejected

2011-07-27T22:16:00.000+08:00

Porto have rejected a staggering £70million bid for Brazilian striker Hulk from an undisclosed club, according to his agent.

Several European giants are thought to be in the market for the 24-year-old, with Manchester City, Chelsea and AC Milan among the teams to be linked.

However Hulk, who signed a five-year extension on his deal with treble-winning Porto in May, has a £89.5million release clause.

The player has continually stressed his intention to remain at the Estadio do Dragao and his agent, Teodoro Fonseca, claims Porto snubbed the offer without leaving room for any negotiation.

Fonseca refused to be drawn on which club had tried to lure Hulk away.

He added: "I cannot reveal that. But it is not hard to see because there are only three or four clubs who are able to present those kind of numbers for a player."

The appointment of former Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas as manager at Chelsea has fuelled speculation that Hulk is poised for a move to Stamford Bridge.

Partizan Belgrade midfielder Radosav Petrovic to move to Blackburn

2011-07-27T21:56:00.000+08:00

The 22-year-old looked destined to join the Eredivisie side this summer having passed a medical in Arnhem, while a reported £2.7million transfer fee had been agreed.

However, negotiations over a potential five-year contract collapsed, opening the door for Rovers to make their move.

Vitesse technical director Ted van Leeuwen admits the Dutch club now look likely to miss out on the youngster's signature, with Steve Kean's side close to completing a deal after reportedly tabling an offer.

He told Omroep Gelderland: "It looks like a deal will be made (with Blackburn), so it will be hard for us."

Petrovic, capped 18 times for Serbia, has established himself as a key player in Belgrade since his 2008 arrival.

He would mark Rovers' first signing of the summer, with the Lancashire side having failed to strike in the transfer market so far.

Udinese signs Brazilian defender Neuton from Gremio

2011-07-27T21:40:00.001+08:00

Udinese has announced the signing of Brazilian defender Neuton, who joins from Gremio on a five-year contract.

The 21-year-old has impressed in his homeland in the past two seasons, and the Italian side has been keeping tabs on his progress.

The news was revealed on the club's official website, but no transfer fee has been disclosed as yet.

"Udinese can announce that it has acquired outright the rights of the defender Sergio Piccoli Neuton from Brazilian [side] Gremio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense. The player has signed an agreement with I Bianconeri for five years," the statement read.

The Erechim born man will add versatility and strength in depth to Francesco Guidolin's backline, as he can play at either center back or on the left, and he does not qualify as one of the outfit's non-EU players, as he holds an Italian passport.

The new addition to the team will be unveiled in a press conference later on Wednesday.

Emmanuel-Thomas has signed for Ipswich Town from Arsenal

2011-07-27T04:01:00.001+08:00

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has signed for Ipswich Town from Arsenal for a fee thought to be worth around £1 million.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas spent time on loan at Cardiff last season
Emmanuel-Thomas was the captain of Arsenal's 2009 FA Youth Cup-winning side, but he only featured for the first team on five occasions and decided it was time to start playing first-team football.

"Obviously it came to the stage in my career at Arsenal where I needed to be playing games," he said. "I had a good time at Arsenal and I'm going to miss all the boys but my future is about me and I needed to move on.

"I was impressed with what Paul Jewell had to say. My goal is to play in the Premier League with Ipswich."

Emmanuel-Thomas, who tends to play either as a striker or on the wing, already has experience of Championship football, having previously featured on loan for Cardiff City.

Atalanta, Chievo Verona face match fixing probe

2011-07-27T03:47:00.001+08:00

Chievo Verona and Atalanta of the Serie A are among 18 clubs named on suspicion of match-fixing, the Italian football federation FIGC said on Tuesday.

Twenty-six players and officials, including former Italy player Giuseppe Signori and Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni, have also been mentioned in a report by FIGC prosecutor Stefano Palazzi.

Three Serie B teams - Ascoli, Hellas Verona and Sassuolo - 11 Pro League teams - Alexandria, Cremonese, Benevento, Ravenna, Virtus Entella, Piacenza, Esperia Viareggio, Portogruaro, Taranto, Spezia and Reggiana - and two amateur sides - Cus Chieti and Pino Di Matteo - will also be called before the prosecutor at the hearings starting early next month.

The FIGC probe is related to a criminal investigation into match-fixing/betting which at first centred on the lower leagues but now concerns 60 games in the top three divisions.

Sixteen people, including Signori, who protests in innocence, were arrested two months ago. They are suspected to have formed an organised system featuring former and current players, sports betting operators and others which manipulated games to rake in large sums from betting on the games.

The Italian authorities are so far believed to have identified 18 suspicious matches, including one Serie A encounter between Inter Milan and Lecce, and made a total of 16 arrests.

Last season's Serie B clash between Piacenza and Atalanta - who subsequently secured promotion to the top flight - has also come under scrutiny following reports of irregular betting patterns.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Atalanta risks demotion and club captain Doni faces a three-year ban if the allegations are proven.

Signori, 43, was among those arrested on June 1 amid claims by prosecutors that the 16 had been involved in manipulating results of matches in Serie B and lower leagues.

Italian football was last gripped by match-fixing allegations in 2006, when the Calciopoli affair saw Juventus stripped of two Scudettos and relegated to Serie B after being found guilty of trying to influence referee selection.

Argentina sack Batista after Copa exit

2011-07-26T17:23:00.000+08:00

The Argentinian Football Association has terminated the contract of the Albicelestes' coach, Sergio Batista.

AFA spokesman Ernesto Cherquis Bialo announced the move in the wake of the team's disappointing campaign in the Copa America, at which they were hosts.

Argentina were eliminated in quarter-finals by Uruguay, who went on to lift the trophy with a 3-0 win over Paraguay in Buenos Aires on Sunday evening.

Cherquis Bialo told reporters: ''The national teams committee has decided to rescind the contract that attached Mr Batista with the Argentinian Football Association.

''In a very good natured, mature telephone conversation, Mr Batista and Mr Julio Grondona (the AFA president) talked and Batista left his situation in the hands of the AFA.

''Batista is a man who does not need any explanation. He talked to the AFA president and allowed him to decide whatever he considers the right thing.''

As Argentina start the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in October, the AFA hope to name Batista's successor within a week.

''In the upcoming seven days, we hope we can reveal the name of the new coach,'' Cherquis Bialo said. ''The candidates' names will be evaluated by the national teams committee.''

Argentina were scheduled to play a friendly against Romania next month, but Cherquis Bialo announced it has been cancelled.

Ajax keeper Stekelenburg close to joining Roma

2011-07-26T05:49:00.002+08:00

Roma are close to securing a deal for Netherlands keeper Maarten Stekelenburg from Ajax.

The keeper, a star at last year's World Cup, has been targetted Roma for most of the summer but previous bids for him were below Ajax's valuation.

His agent Franco Parisi, believes a deal is close. "We are working to close the differences," Parisi told Romanews.eu. "The matter must be sorted within the next 24 hours. If it isn't an agreement may never arrive."

Despite Steklenburg being out of contract next year, Roma's 5 million euro was rebuffed by Ajax but the offer is now believed to have increased to 8 million euros.

Napoli, Manchester United & Manchester City have all made enquiries for Shakhtar Donetsk's Douglas Costa

2011-07-26T03:33:00.000+08:00

A number of clubs from Italy, England and Spain have all been taking note of the Brazilian, his representative has said, and any offer from top leagues will be considered

Back in June, Costa, 20, said he was pleased after learning of an interest from Napoli and Roma, who were both linked with his services.

His five goals in 27 games for the Ukrainian side last term have not gone unnoticed across the European continent, and Bottega has now confirmed the Italian and Premier League clubs have been sniffing around.

Cesar Bottega stated that Arsene Wenger’s side made an offer of cash plus out of favour midfielder Denilson for the talented Brazilian, but the offer was rejected by the Ukrainian club who are only interested in a money deal.

Yet, despite the links with a transfer, Costa could still remain with coach Mircea Lucescu's squad even though any subsequent offer will be considered.

"The player is happy in the Ukraine and he gets to play Champions League football with one of the most important teams in Europe," added the agent.

"But, if an opportunity from an important league arrives then we will consider it."

Costa is tied to Shakhtar until 2014.

Fulham complete signing of Pajtim Kasami from Palermo

2011-07-26T02:58:00.000+08:00

Fulham have completed the signing of attacking midfielder Pajtim Kasami from Palermo for an undisclosed fee and he has now penned a four-year contract.

Boss Martin Jol is happy to have completed the signing of the Switzerland under-21 international as he looks to build a new side.

"Pajtim is a young, talented midfielder who has potential, so we are very excited about signing him on a four-year contract,” he told the club's official website.

“He is a versatile midfield player who can adapt quite easily to more than one position. He is a key player in the Swiss under-21 team.

Kasami appeared 24 times for Palermo having joined the Serie A outfit from Swiss side Bellinzona 12 months ago, and he also spent time with Liverpool as a youth player.

He was part of the Swiss side that reached the final of this summer’s Under-21 European Championship.

Villa agree £9.5m fee for N'Zogbia

2011-07-25T21:34:00.000+08:00

Aston Villa have agreed a £9.5 million deal with Wigan for winger Charles N'Zogbia and are close to completing the move.

Wigan had rejected Villa's bid of £9 million for the former Newcastle player. But the two clubs held further discussions over the weekend and are believed to have reached a compromise figure of around £9.5 million.

New Villa boss Alex McLeish needs a new winger after the departures of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing to Manchester United and Liverpool respectively this summer. He will take nothing for granted after failing to sign N'Zogbia when Birmingham boss last summer.

N'Zogbia will hold talks over personal terms in the next 24 hours and undergo a medical before signing what is expected to be a five-year deal.

He would be likely to have to wait to join up with Villa's first-team squad. McLeish's team are currently on a pre-season tour of Hong Hong and N'Zogbia does not have the required work visa.

Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax sack entire staff

2011-07-25T21:22:00.000+08:00

Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax have seen their entire coaching staff sacked after losing 2-0 to FC Basel on Sunday.

Neuchatel, who were recently taken over by Chechen businessman Bulat Chagaev, lie at the bottom of the Swiss league after two games and two defeats, but took the steps to remove coach Francois Ciccolini, team manager Sonny Anderson and the rest of the staff who were only appointed in June.

"They can't ask us to perform magic," Ciccolini told the online edition of 20 Minutes newspaper. While Anderson added: "He (Chagaev) is the chief shareholder, he makes the decisions."

Chagaev took over the club in May and immediately sacked administrative staff, sponsors and two coaches. Didier Olle-Nicole went first on May 12, the day the club was sold to Chagaev, and his replacement Bernard Challendes lost his job when his side lost to Sion in the Swiss Cup final.

The upheavals have also seen Brazilian goalkeeper Rodrigo Galatto sacked after only one game after a poor performance in the 3-0 home defeat by FC Lucerne in their opening match of the season.

Uruguay won Copa America 2011 after 16 years courtesy of goal from Forlan and Suarez

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000+08:00

Uruguay have won their first Copa America since 1995 after a comprehensive 3-0 win in the final over a toothless Paraguay at the Monumental in Buenos Aires.

The Paraguayans reached the final without winning a single match in normal time but their fortune ran out against a Uruguay side who were vastly superior.

Luis Suarez put La Celeste ahead after 12 minutes and Forlan doubled the lead 30 minutes later. Atletico Madrid striker Forlan then added a late third to tie Hector Scarone as Uruguay's leading goalscorer with 31.

Uruguay bossed the first half with the pace and movement of Forlan and Suarez proving particularly troublesome for Paraguay's overworked defence.

Oscar Tabarez's men bristled with intent from the off and could have gone ahead inside two minutes. Suarez battled his way past two defenders and his scuffed shot was goalbound before Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar managed to smother it behind.

Paraguay's defence had been the foundation for their run to the final but it was breached for the first time in six hours after 12 minutes.

The ball fell fortuitously to Suarez in the area and the Liverpool striker turned smartly before clipping in a shot which beat Villar via Dario Veron's leg and the left-hand post.

Uruguay were dominating all over the field and they got the second goal their opening-half display deserved three minutes before the break when Egidio Arevalo dispossessed Ortigoza before playing in Forlan and his powerful drive easily beat Villar for his first goal in 13 internationals.

Paraguay wasted another route back into the contest after 62 minutes when midfielder Cristian Riveros failed to connect with Ivan Piris' cross at the near post after attempting an unnecessary back-heel.

But Tabarez's men did have the final say with a wonderful third in the final minute. Cavani swept a cross-field pass to Suarez, whose cushioned header was perfect for Forlan to run on to and slot past the advancing Villar.

Balotelli in the spotlight again as City draw with Galaxy

2011-07-25T08:56:00.000+08:00

Mario Balotelli sparked controversy as he was substituted after only 31 minutes following his attempted backheel when clean through on goal in Manchester City's narrow pre-season win over the LA Galaxy.

Balotelli had already put City ahead from the penalty spot after Micah Richards had been fouled.

He was then sent clear of the home side's defence on the half hour but instead of attempting to score normally, Balotelli tried a complicated pivot, followed by a backheel which rolled wide.

Manager Roberto Mancini was clearly furious and immediately took Balotelli off.

The striker responded with a few choice words to the City chief as he made his way to the bench, indicating that he did not understand what he had done wrong.

Mancini replied, presumably pointing out how disrespectful the move had been. Balotelli angrily took his place on the bench before throwing his water-bottle to the ground in disgust.

He did not return to the dug-out for the second half, further fuelling an already tempestuous relationship with Mancini.

Balotelli has not been at City for 1 year but already his crime sheet is extensive.

He was sent-off at West Brom in November, then against Dynamo Kiev in a last 16 Europa League tie which Mancini branded "stupid".

On more than one occasion the City chief accused Balotelli of not listening to him and the 20-year-old raised further eyebrows when he accepted the Golden Boy award and declared of the previous winners, the only one who was a "little bit" better than him was Lionel Messi.

He did not turn up for an end-of-season trophy parade - even though he was named man-of-the-match as City defeated Stoke in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Already this season he was pictured showing off a T-shirt of questionable taste, which was condemned by the Damilola Taylor Trust.

With the club due to return to England at the end of their three-match tour, Mancini will presumably let Balotelli know exactly what he thinks.

The controversy surrounding Ballotelli's substitution reduced David Beckham's 45-minute appearance to a sideshow as Mike Magee bagged a second-half leveller for the hosts before Joe Hart ended a marathon penalty shoot-out to secure a 7-6 spot-kick triumph for City.

Wenger will buy two Spaniards if Cesc's sold.

2011-07-25T00:43:00.004+08:00

Arsenal are ready to break their transfer record with £20million moves for Valencia’s Juan Mata and Villarreal’s Santi Cazorla if the sale of captain Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona finally goes through this week.

Barca vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu is in London this weekend and wants to meet Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis to submit a new £35m offer to Arsenal and drive through the deal.

Fabregas missed the friendly win against FC Cologne in Germany and Arsenal have cited an ongoing hamstring injury, with insiders denying any suggestion that Fabregas is effectively on strike.

It seems all it will take for Fabregas to go is for Barcelona to match Arsenal’s £40m valuation, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refuses to comment anything until the transfer is agreed.

With the forecast income from Fabregas plus a kitty of about £25m, Arsenal are ready to spend serious money this summer, smashing their club record of £17.5m for Andrey Arshavin in 2009, possibly by buying Mata, 23, a left-sided wide player, for whom Valencia will demand £25m.

Mata is Arsenal’s most expensive target along with Spain team-mate Cazorla, 26, who can play on either wing or centrally. Cazorla though is also being chased by Malaga.

Gervinho has an instant impact for Arsenal

2011-07-25T00:24:00.000+08:00

Gervinho scored twice in his first 15 minutes as an Arsenal player as the Gunners beat Cologne 2-1 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The Ivory Coast international, signed from the French champions Lille by Arsène Wenger earlier this month, made an impressive start by opening the scoring just seven minutes into the game with the Bundesliga side when he finished well after being sent clear on goal by a pass from Jack Wilshere.

Eight minutes later Gervinho made it 2-0, this time benefitting from good work on the right flank by Theo Walcott.

But Arsenal's new arrival did not get the chance to add to his double strike, as he was substituted just before the half-hour mark with what seemed to be a minor knock after colliding with the Cologne substitute goalkeeper, Miro Varvodic.

Arsenal's other new signing, Carl Jenkinson, had a far less memorable night when the teenage defender scored a spectacular own goal just before half-time, but the Gunners held on fairly comfortably in the second half.

Samir Nasri willing to remain at Arsenal and leave for free next summer

2011-07-24T22:15:00.000+08:00

Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri is believed to be willing to remain in north London for another year and then leave on a Bosman transfer.

The 24-year-old had a breakthrough campaign last season, making 46 appearances, scoring 15 goals and contributing five assists. His performances also saw him nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Despite his strong showings, Arsene Wenger's men again failed to lay their hands on any silverware, as the trophy drought extended to six years.

Since the end of the season the former Marseille man has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, with Manchester City thought to be interested in his services.

Now The Sun reports that the midfielder is ready to see out his contract at Ashburton Grove and leave for free next summer.

Furthermore, it has been reported that the Gunner has told his teammates that he is not going to sign a new contract with the club.

For his part, Arsenal manager Wenger has maintained that he would be willing to risk losing the midfielder for free in order to keep him at the club for another season.

He said: "I'm willing to keep him for another year, even if it means we risk losing him for nothing in a year's time.

"I think the board agrees with me as it is a technical decision. Our goal is to win the championship and we need good players to do that."

Ferguson: No more signing.

2011-07-24T19:12:00.000+08:00

Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed Manchester United are not currently in the market for new summer signings and he is looking at the Old Trafford dressing room to provide the answer to Paul Scholes' retirement.

At various points in the summer, Samir Nasri, Luka Modric and Wesley Sneijder have all been linked with big-money moves to United. However, Nasri appears bound for Manchester City, whilst any deals to sign Sneijder or Modric apparently look too expensive for Ferguson to sanction.

It means the United boss could end up going into the new campaign with the players already at his disposal, which would mean the likes of Anderson having to step up on the efforts of previous years.

''We are always looking for good quality players,'' said Ferguson. ''We started the season with the players we have and I am satisfied with that. We are not looking at the moment but we are looking at combinations of central midfielders now at the club.''

Meanwhile, speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Ferguson has played down suggestions Ryan Giggs could become the target of abuse from opposition fans this season.

The 37-year-old is due to commence his 21st season with the Old Trafford outfit but will do so after a summer of negative headlines. Ferguson has experienced United players get all kinds of abuse in the past, but he doesn't expect it to happen with Giggs.

''I am not sure Giggs will get that,'' he said. ''He is one of the few players that other fans like. He has their respect. He has never been sent off and he's had only a few bookings. I don't see it being a problem.''

Chelsea lead race to sign Pastore

2011-07-24T01:21:00.000+08:00

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claims Premier League duo Chelsea and Manchester City, plus Serie A side Roma, are battling it out to sign Javier Pastore.

Zamparini has imposed a Tuesday deadline for any deal to be done for Pastore and the Italian media claim Chelsea are favourites to land the €50 million playmaker.

Pastore, 22, has already been the subject of a rejected €45 million bid from "a major European side" and Zamparini believes there are now just three clubs in the running to sign the Argentina international.

"I cannot say who has the advantage between Chelsea, Manchester City or Roma. I can only underline that I'm interested in cash deals," Zamparini told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Any move for Pastore or a renewed bid for Tottenham's Luka Modric would appear to have the blessing of Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay.

Like Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu, for whom Chelsea have agreed a £5 million fee, Pastore would help fill the void left by Michael Essien, who was recently ruled out for six months with a serious knee injury.

It remains to be seen if manager Andre Villas-Boas is ready to push through a deal.

Chelsea agree to sign Barcelona hotshot

2011-07-23T18:20:00.000+08:00

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that the Blues have agreed to sign Barcelona midfielder

According to club’s official website, the two clubs have agreed on the transfer fee, but the player has yet to sign a contract with the Blues subject to passing a medical.

Speaking in Bangkok, Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that Oriol will soon become a Chelsea player.

“I don’t want to speak too much about him because he is not our player,” Villas-Boas was quoted as saying.

“It is a part of the squad in which we are struggling with numbers because of Michael Essien’s injury and Oriol is a player with a bright future. He still has to evolve as a player.

“The Barcelona B team had a magnificent year in the Spanish second division, they finished third. Oriol had an injury during the season but he came back late on and was in time to play for the first team.

“So he is one of the most promising young players in that position and hopefully we can agree personal terms and hopefully he will pass a medical.”

Diego Capel will join Sporting Lisbon

2011-07-23T02:26:00.000+08:00

Sevilla has confirmed the transfer of Diego Capel to Sporting Lisbon.

The 23-year-old leaves the Liga outfit after seven years with the first team where he lifted the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and two Europa League trophies.

A statement from the Spanish club reads:

"Sevilla FC and Sporting Clube Portugal of Lisbon have reached an agreement for the transfer of Capel and he has signed a five-year contract with the Alvalade entity."

Details of the transfer remain undisclosed, but it is reported that Sporting Lisbon has paid the Spanish side 3.5 millioneuros up front, and could add a further 1 million euros if the Portuguese outfit qualifies for the Champions League.

Manchester United join race for Ganso

2011-07-23T02:10:00.000+08:00

Manchester United have joined the race to sign Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Sir Alex Ferguson is still looking to add a quality player to the midfield area and he is reportedly keen on Santos playmaker Ganso.

The Scottish manager has turned to the Brazilian after his move for Wesley Sneijder fell through and is now pondering a big money move for Brazil’s number 10.

The 20-year-old playmaker is a target for both Milan and Inter, and has already hinted at a move to Serie A, but could change his opinion after being informed of Manchester United interest.

Milan were thought to be on the verge of signing the youngster, but the Rossoneri decided to pursue other targets and they now fear that Manchester United could hijack their bid for the midfield maestro.

Following the impressive showing at the 2011 Copa America, Ganso is ready to move to Europe, although Santos want to keep him at least until January, when they take part in Club World Cup.

PSG bid for QPR Taarabt

2011-07-23T02:00:00.000+08:00

French giants Paris Saint-Germain have made a formal bid for QPR playmaker Adel Taarabt, according to reports.

It was reported earlier this week that PSG were in talks with Taarabt's representatives over a return to France after he came through the youth ranks at Lens.

And it is now believed that the Ligue 1 outfit, who have recently been taken over by Qatari investors, have lodged an £8.7million offer for the mercurial Moroccan.

The 22-year-old shone last season after making a permanent move to Loftus Road from Tottenham last summer for a fee of around £1million.

Taarabt was named the Championship's player of the year after helping the Hoops win the title to return to the Premier League after a 15-year absence.

Barca sign Chile forward Sanchez for £26 million

2011-07-22T04:32:00.000+08:00

Barcelona signed Chile forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese for $37 million on Thursday, becoming the European champion’s first major signing during the offseason transfer market.

The three-time defending Spanish champion said on its website that the 22-year-old Sanchez has agreed to a five-year contract. He becomes the first Chilean player to join Barcelona. Terms of the move were not released.

Barcelona said bonuses could add an extra $16.5 million to the deal. Sanchez will undergo a medical and sign his contract before being presented in the Catalan capital on Monday.

Sanchez scored 12 goals in 31 Serie A games for Udinese last season after joining from Argentine team River Plate in 2008. He also previously played for Colo Colo and helped Chile reached the quarterfinals of the Copa America in Argentina this month.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is likely to utilize the winger’s pace and skill on the flanks to bolster Barcelona’s attack. Last season, David Villa and Pedro Rodriguez played there without much of a rest.

“He’s very young,” Guardiola said. “He can play in all three attacking positions, he shows intense defensive skills, he’s direct and from what I’ve been told, he’s a very nice kid.”

The football transfer is also the most expensive involving a Chilean. It could be end up being worth more than double what Juventus paid Lazio for Marcelo Salas in 2001, when striker Darko Kovacevic was included in a $25 million deal.

Should the deal reach a maximum $54 million, it would be Barcelona’s second most expensive signing after having paid Inter Milan $65 million for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a move that included Samuel Eto’o going the other way.

Barcelona can now concentrate on trying to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas. Guardiola said Sanchez was the club’s No. 1 transfer priority, but Barcelona still wants to bring Fabregas back to his boyhood club.

Chile International Vidal set to join Juventus.

2011-07-22T00:03:00.001+08:00

Bayer Leverkusen's Arturo Vidal confirms that he will join Juventus.
The dynamic Chile international midfielder is off to Turin, bringing speculation over the player's future to an end. Vidal revealed that he is eagerly anticipating the move.

"I am happy, this is a big and important step in my career. I take a lot of experience with me from Germany and I know that I can achieve a lot with Juventus," he told Bild before boarding the flight to Turin.

The deal began to near completion yesterday when Bayer Leverkuen sporting director Rudi Voller travelled to Italy for negotiations. The 24-year-old, who can operate in defence or midfield, will sign a five-year deal and earn around €3 million a season, according to Bild.

Italian publication Tuttosport reported yesterday afternoon that Juventus will pay €10.5m up front, which could rise to €12m. 30 per cent of the transfer fee is due to be paid to Vidal's former club Colo-Colo.

Leverkusen was unwilling to sell its prized asset to rivals Bayern Munich, and with the Chilean's contract up in June 2012, they decided to sell him this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Feyenoord appoint Koeman

2011-07-21T23:42:00.000+08:00

Feyenoord have confirmed Ronald Koeman as their new coach in succession to Mario Been.

Koeman, who also had spells at Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar, takes over after Feyenoord's first-team squad had "lost confidence'' in Been.

Koeman told his new club's official website: "It is my firm conviction that we will be capable of causing some surprises in the weeks to come this season. There is indeed plenty of quality and talent in this young squad. Along with the players and the entire club, I share the burning ambition to show that we are much more capable than we have shown in the recent past.''

The 48-year-old ended his professional playing career with Feyenoord in 1997 having previously played for FC Groningen, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.

Been's decision to quit was hugely controversial, and the club's new technical director Martin van Geel said at the time that the responsibility for his exit lay "entirely with the players'' and not with the Rotterdam club's board.

Under Been last season, Feyenoord made an awful start before recovering to finish 10th in the Eredivisie. Former Schalke, Hamburg and PSV coach Huub Stevens had expressed his interest in the role but Feyenoord have opted for Koeman.

Van Geel told the club's official website: "The talks of the last few days have been very hectic. Significantly and beautifully we had almost no conversation about money, but mostly about the ambition of Feyenoord.''

Koeman will be assisted by Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jean-Paul van Gastel, both of whom he played alongside during his spell as a Feyenoord player between 1995 and 1997. He worked on his coaching skills as part of the Holland and Barcelona back-room teams in the late 1990s before taking on his first head coach post with Vitesse Arnhem in 1999.

He impressed at Vitesse, leading the club to European qualification despite a limited budget and moved on to Ajax, where he won a domestic double in 2002 and another Eredivisie title in 2004 before being dismissed in early 2005 after losing too much ground to PSV in the title race.

He spent one largely unsuccessful season with Portuguese giants Benfica before returning to Holland to coach PSV, where he won the league title in 2007.

Later that year he moved on to Spain to succeed Quique Sanchez Flores at Valencia, where he won the Copa del Rey but was fired within days because of poor league form which culminated in a 5-1 thrashing at Athletic Bilbao.

His most recent posting began in May 2009 when he succeeded Louis van Gaal at AZ but survived only seven months in the job after a mediocre start to the season by the defending league champions.

Benfica Sign Capdevila

2011-07-21T23:07:00.000+08:00

Benfica have completed the signing of Veteran Player Joan Capdevila from Villarreal for an undisclosed fee.

Capdevila, 33, has penned a two-year contract at Benfica, who have been seeking a new left-back after Fabio Coentrao signed for Real Madrid this summer.

The Spain international, who has 57 caps to his name, spent four years at Villarreal after joining the club from Deportivo.

While Benfica have not revealed the price paid for Capdevila, they have revealed his contract includes a buy-out clause of £17.5 million.

Players 'trafficked' and 'groomed' for match-fixing

2011-07-21T22:54:00.000+08:00

FIFA's head of security has warned young footballers are being "trafficked'' by gambling syndicates intent on fixing the outcome of matches.

Chris Eaton claims youngsters from "humble origins'' are being targeted by criminals who help them earn deals with clubs in Europe and Latin America in return for their compliance in altering the outcome of games.

Eaton maintains that junior competitions are the breeding ground for the illicit recruitment, which he believes represents "a real and present danger to the sanctity and ethics of sport''.

"It is a form of trafficking, in my view - trafficking for criminal purposes,'' Eaton told the Independent. "It is only anecdotal evidence at this stage but it is clear. They [the match-fixers] often target people from humble origins.

"They will go to junior competitions and recruit families of players basically through the attraction of cash. 'I can get you a contract, or a game in Europe or in South America'. They will invest in the development of players and officials and then they expect payment - they want their cut.

"These people are criminals, they are organised. They are well-funded and have a long-term plan. They are a real and present danger to the sanctity and ethics of sport. I would not understate its seriousness.''

FIFA, in tandem with Interpol, has already made moves to address the problem by exploring the idea of briefing players on the dangers of match-fixing before major tournaments.

"FIFA's primary task is to prevent match-fixing,'' Eaton continued. "FIFA is redesigning its regulatory arrangements for international friendlies and competition matches, particularly in qualifiers. These are all capable of being abused by match-fixers.

"We need to arm federations with good due diligence skills - so they know whether these people arranging the matches are genuine. Prevention is the primary task. The second is to protect players and officials from the approach of criminals.''

Jo joins Brazilian side Internacional

2011-07-21T15:04:00.002+08:00

Manchester City striker Jo has completed his transfer to Brazilian side Internacional for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club have confirmed.

Jo joined City from CSKA Moscow in an £18 million deal in July 2008 but failed to establish himself at Eastlands and was loaned out to Everton mid-way through his first season in England.

The 24-year-old, who was briefly City's record signing before his countryman Robinho joined a month later, returned to Goodison Park for part of the 2009-10 season, which also included a loan spell at Turkish giants Galatasaray.

In his final season at City, Jo spent a large amount of time on the bench, playing the occasional game under Roberto Mancini and scoring three goals in the Carling Cup and Europa League.

Despite being capped three times by Brazil the former Corinthians forward never adapted to life in the Premier League, and scored only six goals in 41 appearances for City. However he manage to seal a move which Tevez will be stuck at City for at least end of 2011 unless he do not mind to move elsewhere provided there is a £50 million offer.

Paraguay to the final despite without winning any match in the tournament

2011-07-21T14:54:00.002+08:00

Paraguay have qualified for their first Copa America final since 1999 after defeating Venezuela in a penalty shootout following their scoreless draw in Mendoza.

The two teams played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the group stage, but the semi-final was to be a much more conservative affair with neither side able to make the breakthrough during the 120 minutes of play. A save from the impressive Justo Villar from Franklin Lucena's spot-kick was enough to see Paraguay through to Sunday's decider, where they will take on Uruguay.

Paraguay were on top initially, with Dario Veron heading powerfully toward goal in the opening minutes only to be denied by a fine diving save from Renny Vega.

However, Venezuela, competing in their first Copa America semi-final, were not content to spend the game on the back foot, stepping up the pressure as the first-half wore on. The goal-scoring hero against Chile, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, had a goal ruled out on 35 minutes as two of his team-mates stood in an offside position while the defender headed home.

Moments later and Alejandro Moreno slammed his header against the woodwork, while the rebound fell invitingly for his strike partner Salomon Rondon, but inspirational Paraguay skipper Villar made a superb reflex save down to his right.

The second-half provided much of the same, as Moreno and Rondon probed for an opening while Paraguay struggled to get into a rhythm.

Looking to find a late winner, La Albirroja brought on Roque Santa Cruz, Osvaldo Martinez and Marcelo Estigarribia but neither side could hit the back of the net in the 90 minutes, sending the game into extra-time.

Rondon and substitute Miku had opportunities to open the scoring in the additional 30 minutes, but both Venezuelans scuffed their strikes straight at Villar.

Meanwhile, Paraguay appeared to be falling apart, having Jonathan Santana dismissed after being shown his second yellow card for a foul on Rondon, while head coach Gerardo Martino and his assistant were both sent from the touchline.

Villar, who has been impressive all tournament, then made himself the hero in the shootout by holding onto Lucena's tentative strike, while Paraguay converted all five of their penalty attempts.

Sunday's final in Buenos Aires between Paraguay and Uruguay will be preceded on Saturday by Venezuela taking on Peru in the play-off for third spot.

Paraguay scrape through to the final without winning any match and draw at all games at regular time.

Copa America Preview: Paraguay v Venezuela

2011-07-21T02:05:00.003+08:00

Venezuela have already rewritten the record books just by reaching tomorrow`s Copa America semi-final against Paraguay in Mendoza - but coach Cesar Farias insists his side are not ready for the adventure to end just yet.

Venezuela have never before reached the last four of the competition but they have broken that duck this year following some impressive results.

They held two-time reigning champions Brazil to a goalless draw in their opening game before going on to beat Ecuador and then fight back to draw 3-3 with tomorrow`s opponents Paraguay to finish second in Group B, level on points with the top-placed Brazilians.

That set up a quarter-final showdown with Group C winners Chile, where Venezuela recorded a 2-1 victory thanks to a late winner from Gabriel Cichero.

It has been a memorable few weeks for the country, and has left Farias and his players wanting more of the same.

"We didn`t come here to gift anything away. We came here to play six games. We haven`t suffered a defeat despite having faced three teams from the World Cup finals and Ecuador. We`ve shown we can compete with the South American teams,'' he said following the victory over Chile.

"Now we are among the best four, and we are here to continue. Hopefully we can continue making history. We cannot settle for this. We have to have a mentality of trying to continue progressing and growing.''

The previous meeting between the two teams in the group stages highlighted Venezuela`s fighting spirit as they battled back from 3-1 down to snatch a point with two goals in the final two minutes from Miku and Grenddy Perozo.

That result left Paraguay in third spot in Group B and meant they had to face mighty Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Paraguay had already given the five-time World Cup winners a scare in their group meeting when the Brazilians needed an 89th-minute equaliser from Fred to salvage a 2-2 draw, and Gerardo Martino`s men went one better in the last eight as they dumped out their highly-fancied opponents on penalties.

Looking ahead to their semi-final clash Martino, whose side reached the World Cup quarter-finals last year but have not managed to win in normal time in this summer`s Copa America, insists his side will not be underestimating their opponents.

"We`re not favourites. We are realists and a team who in a period of four and a half years have lost to Qatar, South Africa and Honduras cannot be considered favourites,'' he said.

"As well as that. Venezuela almost won the group we were in.

"We have to improve to have a little better chance of winning the Copa America and the only way to get to the final is to improve our play.''

Selection: A goal to be scored in first half.

Chelsea closing in on Lukaku

2011-07-21T01:59:00.001+08:00

Chelsea have lodged a formal bid for Anderlecht striker Romelu Lukaku, according to widespread reports.

Lukaku, 18, has long-been linked with a move to Chelsea, with the Belgium international likened to Blues forward Didier Drogba due to his finishing and power.

Several sides have been linked with the teenager, but Chelsea have now upped the ante in their quest to land his signature.

It is claimed Andre Villas-Boas' side have offered in the region of £18 million for Lukaku's services as the Portuguese coach plots for his debut season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku scored 15 league goals in the 2009-10 campaign to help Anderlecht win the Jupiler League title, while last season he scored 16 goals from 37 appearances as his side finished third.

Greening quits Fulham for Forest

2011-07-20T22:31:00.002+08:00

Versatile midfielder Jonathan Greening has left Fulham to join Nottingham Forest on a three-year deal - and could take the captain's armband.

The 32-year-old Scarborough-born schemer, who can play anywhere across the midfield four, began his career at York City before spending three years at Manchester United.

Greening has also played for Middlesbrough and West Brom, and was a fans' favourite at The Hawthorns where he was skipper for most of his spell there.

However, he only made 10 league appearances for the Cottagers last season and his move to the City Ground should ensure him more first-team football.

He will reportedly cost McClaren around £600,000 this time and is a contender for the captaincy this season following the release of Paul McKenna.

Jonathan Greening insists first-team football and a reunion with Steve McClaren were his reasons for swapping Fulham for Nottingham Forest.

Greening, who played under McClaren at Manchester United and Middlesbrough, started just six Premier League matches last season.

The 32-year-old has signed a three-year deal with Forest and is hoping to make more of an impact at the City Ground.

"I was looking to leave Fulham as I had not been playing as often as I would have liked," said Greening. "It was massively frustrating for me last season. I only started six games but I was on the bench every other week. It was disheartening to be training every week only to end up on the bench. Hopefully I can play a bigger part of things at Forest.

"For Steve to come in for me was brilliant. He is a big factor in why I have come here. I worked with him for two years at Manchester United and for three at Middlesbrough, so I know what he is all about.

"I am really looking forward to working with him again. He has a lot about him. He will do a really good job and it is a great benefit to have him here."

Gecov: Signs for Fulham

2011-07-20T22:18:00.003+08:00

Slovan Liberec midfielder Marcel Gecov has completed a move to Fulham after successfully passing a medical and signing a two-year contract.

The 23-year-old Czech international was in London on Tuesday to undergo a physical examination and Fulham are happy that he can handle the rigours of Premier League life.

"He's signed and I am happy with him," said boss Martin Jol. "He is a very talented player.

"He's a good midfield player and played against England [in the Under-21 European Championships] and got two assists so he is full of confidence.

"He knows he can play against English teams and that helps. He signed the contract yesterday.

"He had a very good tournament and was very decisive in games.

"That gave us confidence and he has been on our radar for at least a year.

"The Fulham scouts knew him and had very good reports on him."

The deal is reportedly worth £700,000 and Jol believes Gecov is a good addition to the Cottagers' squad.

Gecov is delighted to have secured a switch to Craven Cottage and admits he cannot wait to get started.
And added that he is enormously happy because it has always been his dream to play in the Premier League.

Gecov's agent claims his client should have no problem adjusting to life in England, with Fulham having put him through a thorough medical.

Porto sign Danilo from Santos

2011-07-20T17:14:00.002+08:00

Porto have signed versatile Brazil Under-20 international Danilo from Copa Libertadores champions Santos.

Danilo, who can play on the right side of defence or midfield, made the 13 million euros switch to the Europa League champions on Tuesday.

A statement from the Portuguese club said: "Porto comes to inform that it has reached an agreement with Santos for the acquisition of the sporting rights of athlete Danilo Luiz da Silva. This agreement sees the payment of a fee of 13 million euros."

Porto beat out rivals Benfica, who were also thought to be interested in the young Brazilian's services. Danilo's arrival opens the way for full-back Jorge Fucile to depart the club, with interest coming from the Serie A in the form of Roma and Lazio.

Agreement with Barcelona for Alexis Sanchez has been completed

2011-07-20T15:20:00.003+08:00

Barcelona has reached an agreement with Udinese over the signing of Alexis Sanchez, according to Gino Pozzo, the son of Udinese club owner Giampaolo Pozzo. The Serie A outfit has finalized a deal with the European champions for the Chilean international, with an official announcement to be made in the coming days.

Speaking with Spanish radio station RAC1 upon his arrival on Wednesday at Barcelona's El Prat airport, Pozzo stated that "the agreement with Barcelona for Alexis Sanchez is complete."

The Chilean, who is back from Copa America, is expected to join Barca's preseason training camp once the deal is complete.

The 22-year-old forward has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona from Italian club Udinese in recent months, with the deal reportedly costing27 million euros plus variables.

Sanchez played an important role with Udinese last season, scoring 12 goals in 27 appearances in the league. His success in club and country has also gain the interest of other major clubs across Europe in past seasons such as Manchester United, Manchester City and Barca's closest rival Real Madrid.

Tevez transfer deal collapses

2011-07-20T13:51:00.002+08:00

The deal between Manchester City and Corinthians for striker Carlos Tevez appears to have collapsed, with the Brazilian club revealing they are unable to make the first payment immediately as requested by City instead of early in 2012 as stated in the Sao Paulo club's original offer.

Corinthians now say they are in no position to make an up-front payment, and with the transfer window in Brazil closing on Wednesday, the club have made a statement on their official website suggesting the Argentine will have to remain with City until at least next January.

Corinthians' director of football, Duilio Monteiro Alves, earlier confirmed the negotiations were not going well, saying: "I'm pessimistic. City want us to start the payments now, and we cannot do that."

Adrian Ruocco, Tevez's attorney added: "Regrettably, judging from the pace of negotiations right now, it is improbable that we will come to any agreement with Corinthians."

"The only thing that stands in the way of a deal is this matter about the first installment. But we will wait until Wednesday, that is the only thing we can do."

Peru v Uruguay: Preview

2011-07-20T03:06:00.004+08:00

Uruguay can move a step closer to becoming the most successful nation in Copa America history tomorrow night when they take on Peru for a place in the final, although coach Oscar Tabarez is not expecting it to be easy.

Uruguay are currently level with Argentina on 14 Copa America successes, but with the Albiceleste having already been dumped out along with two-time reigning champions Brazil, Tabarez's men are now favourites to win their first crown since 1995.

However, in a tournament that has produced a number of upsets already - including Uruguay's quarter-final penalty shoot-out success over star-studded Argentina - Tabarez is not underestimating the threat posed by Peru in tomorrow's semi-final in La Plata.

"If you paid attention to everything that was written before the Copa America, they are a surprise, but I know the Peruvian style of play, their coaching staff, and in every tournament there appears a team who were not in the original calculations,'' he said.

"Maybe Peru and Venezuela have caught the attention most, but I'm not surprised.

"It's going to be a very difficult game, it's going to be against a team that is going to stand toe-to-toe with Uruguay.''

He added: "We've completed the minimum objective that we'd planned before coming, which was to repeat what we did in the last Copa America (reaching the semi-finals). We now have to see what happens against Peru.''

Uruguay and Peru have already clashed once on this year's Copa America, with the pair sharing a 1-1 draw in the opening match in Group C.

Peru have won the Copa America twice before, with the most recent occasion being in 1975.

My Selection: Uruguay-0.5

Corinthians have less than 24hours to close Tevez deal

2011-07-20T01:17:00.002+08:00

Corinthians are close to making a final decision over Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, after City sent them a letter detailing changes to the terms reportedly agreed at the weekend.

Despite reports that Corinthians' bid of £44 million with £4 million in add-ons had been accepted, the Brazilian side released a statement on Monday that said: ''Manchester City has not accepted Corinthians' offer for the player... In fact, the club (City) sent a counter-proposal in which the Premier League club asks for changes in the form of payment and also in the total value of the transaction.''

City have made three demands, the first of which requires Corinthians to raise their offer by around £3 million to almost £47 million including the add-ons - which brings the final fee closer to City's original valuation of £50 million.

City also require that the first of the four agreed instalments is brought forward, while Corinthians have also been asked to produce a bank guarantee to prove that they have the funds to complete the transfer.

City also wish the transfer to be completed "as soon as possible'', but with negotiations continuing and Corinthians yet to respond, it is expected to carry on until Wednesday's deadline.

Palermo claim Pastore offer from a major European side.

2011-07-20T01:03:00.002+08:00

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claims the club have received a €45 million offer for Javier Pastore from a major European side and believes his future will be settled in the next ten days.

Pastore, 22, has been linked with a number of the biggest clubs on the continent, but he has said he would like to remain in Serie A next season amid reported interest from Inter and Roma.

However, Zamparini says the offer has come from a club outside Italy and warned Roma will have to move quickly if they want to get their man.

"I heard from another great club on Monday, a European one and not an Italian side," Zamparini told Radio Radio. "They are an important European outfit. I spoke to their sporting director and I told them to talk to the player's agent.

"The person with whom I talked to asked me to lower Pastore's price from €50 million to €45 million. I'm only accepting cash though and no player exchanges.

"Roma need to hurry up if they want him as I think the situation will be resolved in the next ten days. I've not heard from anyone at Roma, though, even if it would be nice if Pastore did continue to play his football in Italy."

Gudjohnsen joins AEK Athens

2011-07-20T00:52:00.002+08:00

Former Chelsea and Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen has signed for Greek Super League side AEK Athens on a two-year deal.

Eidur Gudjohnsen won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009
Gudjohnsen, 32, had been close to a move to Championship club West Ham, but after the deal stalled he quickly decided on a move to AEK.

The Icelandic international has played for Tottenham, Stoke and Fulham in the past 18 months but told AEK's official website he is now looking forward to the challenge of playing in a new country.

He said: "I'm happy and excited to be here. It is a new step in my career and a challenge for me. I will give it my all.''

Gudjohnsen won the Eredivisie with PSV as well as back-to-back Premier League titles during his time at Chelsea, while his spell at Barcelona culminated in winning the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.

Awana could face ban over backheeled penalty

2011-07-20T00:13:00.008+08:00

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The scorer of a backheeled penalty, who has become an internet sensation as a result, is facing possible disciplinary action from the United Arab Emirates Football Association.

Theyab Awana stole the headlines in the UAE's 7-2 friendly defeat of Lebanon on Sunday for his 78th-minute penalty which he slotted home with his heel after running backwards towards the spot.

He was shown a yellow card at the time - although his offence was unclear - and now the UAE's team manager has hinted at a sanction.

Esmaeel Rashed told The National newspaper: ''This should not have happened. I think what happened is disrespectful. We cannot accept anyone in our team who does not respect the opponent and does not respect the people who are working, or the supporters.

Coach Srecko Katanec was also unimpressed, immediately substituting the player after the penalty, just 10 minutes after sending him on.

''This is not respect, Okay? I am unhappy. My reaction was normal: I took him out,'' he said.

Rashed has spoken to Awana and claims the 21-year-old Baniyas midfielder is full of remorse for his actions.

Rashed added: ''In the end, he's young, but he has to know what are the good things and the bad things. I think he will learn from this moment. He's really, really upset and very worried. From when he was sitting with us today, he's blaming himself.''

Villa First Signing: Given

2011-07-19T12:14:00.002+08:00

Aston Villa have completed the signing of Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given on a five-year deal and will unveil their new player on Tuesday.

Given had struggled to knock Joe Hart off his perch as first-choice goalkeeper at Eastlands and failed to make a single Premier League appearance last season. The 35-year-old Republic of Ireland international will be available for Thursday's friendly fixture against Walsall at the Banks's Stadium and for the club's participation in the Barclays Asia Trophy next week.

''Aston Villa is a huge football club and I'm really excited to be joining," Given said. "I'm looking forward to training and playing with the players here. They're a good bunch of lads, very talented and I know several of them already which will help.

"Everyone knows that I didn't play enough football last season, so I'm really pleased that I'll be able to put that right here. Hopefully, this move will get me back to where I was before in the Premier League, which is where every player wants to be playing.

"Obviously, I'm also excited to be working with Alex McLeish and it's going to be a fresh start for everybody at the club this season.

"It's also a new challenge and one I'm eager to embrace. My aim is to impress the Aston Villa supporters with my performances and I can't wait really to get started."

Villa manager Alex McLeish said: "Shay has come here probably with something of a point to prove and that won't do any harm at all. Everybody who has watched him perform over many years in the Premier League will know his pedigree, so we believe we have secured the services of one of the best goalkeepers in the business.

Copa America holder Brazil crashed out by Paraguay

2011-07-18T06:09:00.002+08:00

Copa America see a team of surprise semi finalist after Argentina and now Brazil are out of the tournament.

A solid defending from Paraguay who did not trouble the Brazil's goal mouth much restricted the samba attacking flow. No goal was scored at first half.

The game continues into the second half as Brazil goes to threaten Paraguay's goal but to no avail. Neymar, targeted by the Spain powerhouse, Real Madrid and Barcelona hardly make any impression as his play was entire disrupted by fouls from the opponent and eventually he was substituted by Fred the the 79th minute.

The remain goal at extra time and at shootout Elano, Thiago Silva, Santos and Fred are unable to make any one of their penalties counted as Paraguay goes to the semi final with 2-0 on penalty shootout.

Japan defeat USA to win the Women World Cup!

2011-07-18T05:23:00.004+08:00

US wasted their lead twice, once in normal time and the other in extra time to concede their 3rd title to Japan.

The USA had all the early pressure, Lloyd with the best effort as her drive from just inside the penalty area flashed narrowly over.

Leading striker Wambach then went closest to breaking the deadlock with a fierce right-footed drive which beat keeper Ayumi Kaihori's dive but thundered off the crossbar to safety.

Japan finally began to establish themselves in the game but, after a training-ground corner to the edge of the box, Nahomi Kawasumi's wild finish over the bar summed up their lack of penetration.

The breakthrough came in the 69th minute from Morgan, who ran on to Megan Rapinoe's long pass, held off Kumagai, took a touch and finished powerfully across Kaihori with her left foot.

But Japan equalised with 10 minutes remaining when Rachael Buehler and Alex Krieger got in a mess defending substitute Yuki Nagasato's cross and Miyama took full advantage to take the game into extra time.

Team USA heroine Abby Wambach's header looked to have won her team a third Women's World Cup but a fine flick from Sawa, off Wambach, takes the final towards penalties.

2 great saves from Japan goal keeper Kaihori won the game for Japan although the forward Nagasato missed with a poor penalty.

Japan is the Champion for Women World Cup 2011!

Weir, 41, signs for one more year at Rangers

2011-07-17T21:53:00.001+08:00

Rangers captain David Weir has signed a one-year contract extension at Ibrox, and will begin his fifth season with the club.

The 41-year-old joined Rangers from Everton in 2007, and has made 162 appearances for the Scottish Premier League side.

“I can’t think of a better place to play my football,” Weir said.

“I’ve obviously got commitments to my family and from that point of view it’s not ideal, but football-wise it’s a one brainer.”

“This is the place I want to play and as long as the manager thinks I can still do a job then I’m happy to sign here.”

“The family thing is obviously a consideration but it works well for me at the moment because I have a good balance.”

“When I’m in Glasgow I’m focused on the football and doing what I need to the night before games and the likes. Things like rest that I might not get when I’m at home.”

“The same is true at home where my full focus can be on my family when I’m there.”

Despite not being guaranteed a starting berth in the Rangers side, Weir is certain that staying at Ibrox is the best place for him, and that manager Ally McCoist has been frank when selecting his team.

“Playing time was a consideration but the manager was honest,” Weir said.

“He said that he was trying to get players in and that there would be competition.”

“But he said it would be the players in form that would get a game and that’s all you can ask for, a level playing field.”

“Competition is a good thing for the club and for the team.”

“I don’t want to be guaranteed a game and I don’t think anyone wants that really.”

Benfica sign Real Madrid defender

2011-07-17T21:46:00.002+08:00

Portuguese giants Benfica have completed the signing of defender Ezequiel Garay from Real Madrid, the Eagles have revealed on their official website.

After Benfica and Real Madrid reached an agreement over the transfer fee, thought to be around €10 million, the player put pen to paper to a long-term deal while on international duty with Argentina.

The 24-year-old defender failed to realize his potential at Santiago Bernabeu after making a switch from Racing Santander and has now decided to leave Madrid in search for first team football.

Garay has been mentioned as a makeweight in the deal taking Fabio Coentrao to Real Madrid and has now completed a switch to La Luz.

The talented defender is expected to form a centre-back partnership with experienced Brazilian Luisao.

Copa America Host Argentina dumped out

2011-07-17T10:47:00.002+08:00

In the biggest upset of the 2011 Copa America thus far, Uruguay have defeated tournament hosts Argentina on penalties in their quarter-final in Santa Fe.

Lionel Messi converted the first penalty but could not save Argentina from exiting the Copa America
The match itself ended 1-1 as Argentina dominated large portions of the contest, but Uruguay showed their steel to win the shootout 5-4 and eliminate the favourites. Carlos Tevez, the figure at the centre of much transfer debate, had his spot-kick saved by Fernando Muslera while Uruguay converted all of their penalties in clinical fashion.

Uruguay got off to the ideal start against their South American rivals when Diego Perez prodded home from close range inside the first five minutes. Diego Forlan's free-kick was nodded down inside the area by Alvaro Pereira allowing Perez to move unmarked at the far post to slide in the opening goal.

However, the Uruguayans' advantage would not last long as Argentina hit back through striker Gonzalo Higuain. After a counter-attack from Uruguay broke down in the 17th-minute, Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi cut inside from the right flank and sent an inch-perfect delivery for Higuain to head home.

The hosts then gained the upper hand on 38 minutes when Perez was shown his second yellow card and sent from the pitch. Messi, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero looked to make the most of the extra space after the half-time interval, but for all of their endeavour they were unable to make their dominance count on the scoreboard.

Four minutes from full-time and both sides were down to ten-men, after Javier Mascherano was also shown his second yellow of the match for a foul on Luis Suarez.

Sergio Batista brought on Tevez for Aguero moments before the final whistle, and the substitution nearly paid off as Tevez launched a thunderous free-kick in the final minute of the game. But Muslera was up to the task, making a fine save with his foot as the free-kick deflected off the wall and reacting smartly to deny Higuain off the rebound.

Neither side could make the breakthrough in extra-time, though, despite the persistent efforts of Higuain, Tevez and substitute Javier Pastore, as Uruguay were forced further onto the back foot as time wore on.

However, World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay held their nerve the better of the two sides in the penalty shootout to progress to the final four of the tournament.

Chelsea close in on Anderlecht star Lukaku dubbed as the new Drogba

2011-07-17T00:59:00.002+08:00

Chelsea were in talks with Anderlecht's top administrator over an £18million move for teenage striker Romelu Lukaku.

General manager Herman van Holsbeeck flew to London to try to agree a fee after the 18-year-old — described as the new Didier Drogba

Lukaku was hoping the meeting would lead to a deal being concluded, but Van Holsbeeck informed Chelsea that another club had registered an interest.

Worryingly for the Stamford Bridge side, their former manager Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of Lukaku and may be launching a late bid to lure him to Real Madrid.

Mourinho is trying to recruit as many as three forwards and could emerge as Chelsea’s rivals for the Belgium forward.

Last month Lukaku filled in a questionnaire for a young fan, at a sponsor’s event in the Flemish city Hasselt, and wrote that his dream was to be a Chelsea player.

Now he appears to be on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong ambition, even if the Londoners face an anxious wait while Van Holsbeeck speaks with the other club who have made contact with Anderlecht.

Genk announces sale of goalkeeping prospect Thibault Courtois to Chelsea

2011-07-17T00:39:00.003+08:00

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is poised to complete a move to Chelsea early next week.

The 19-year-old prospect will be loaned out immediately by the Blues but has been pinpointed as the club's long-term replacement for current No.1 Petr Cech

The Premier League club plan to immediately loan out the highly rated 19-year-old, but it will not be back to Genk as had been originally mooted, with the Blues now analyzing other potential destinations.

Courtois' club Genk, who won the Belgian title last season, released a statement on its website this afternoon to reveal that it had reached an agreement with Chelsea for the player to join the London club.

Genk claims Courtois had pushed for the transfer, which will have a value of around nine million euros, to be completed.

Sources close to the negotiations say talks will now center on which club Courtois will be loaned to next season.

Corinthians lodge second Tevez bid and Mancini respect his decision to quit City

2011-07-17T00:11:00.003+08:00

Corinthians saw a €40 million (£35 million) bid turned down by City earlier this week, with the Premier League club said to be seeking a fee of £50m.

The Brazilian team have upped their proposal to €40 million plus €4 million in add-ons. City are tempted by the terms although they could look to negotiate further.

Corinthians are under pressure to wrap up a deal before Wednesday, when Brazil's international transfer window closes. Juventus have also been mooted as suitors, but no official offer has been forthcoming from the Italian team.

It is reported that City have concerns over how the South American club will finance the deal, but Kia Joorabchian has insisted they have the funds available, citing sponsorship and TV rights money.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that whilst the club will undoubtedly miss striker Carlos Tevez, should he be granted his request to leave, he fully respects the Argentine’s decision.

Tevez has recently reiterated his desire to quit the FA Cup winners, citing family reasons, which has led Brazilian side Corinthians to bid for his services, with Juventus also reportedly having moved to sign the striker.

The former Manchester United man scored 20 league goals for Mancini’s side last season as they finished third in the Premier League, to secure a Champions League spot, and the Italian admits he is an important player.

However, Mancini also added that he felt it was important that players were happy at their clubs and insisted Tevez had struggled being away from his family

"Every time I spoke to Carlos he never said to me 'I want to leave', he said he is missing his daughters, his family.

City manager Roberto Mancini is already plotting for life without Tevez after confirming he will look to bring in the Argentina international's compatriot Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid.

Should Aguero arrive at Eastlands as Tevez's replacement, the 23-year-old will have big shoes to fill - the latter having scored 44 Premier League goals in 66 outings since arriving from Manchester United in 2009.

Juventus in talks with Rossi

2011-07-16T01:37:00.002+08:00

They may not be bidding for Carlos Tevez, but Juventus are negotiating with Villarreal over the signing of Giuseppe Rossi, according to the
Rossi, 24, has been strongly linked with a move away from his Spanish club this summer, with Juve leading the race to acquire his services.

''Juventus and Villarreal are negotiating,'' Rossi's agent Federico Pastorello told Tuttosport. ''We are optimistic. It's a positive sign that the two clubs are negotiating.

''We hope that the deal will be completed soon. It's clear that we are talking about an important player and Juventus are pushing strongly (for the deal to be done) while Rossi would be delighted to move there.''

The former Manchester United striker has a £33 million buy-out clause and enjoyed a fine season in Spain last term, scoring 32 goals in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine. He is under contract at Villarreal until June 2016.

Villa agree Given fee

2011-07-16T01:28:00.002+08:00

Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Manchester City for the services of Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, according to reports.

Given failed to make a single Premier League appearance last term and is eager to secure first-team football having turned 35 in April.

The former Newcastle stopper is regarded as one of the best keepers in the Premier League after his exploits with the Magpies and then City, who he joined for £5.9million in January 2009.

But Joe Hart's emergence as first-choice keeper for club and country forced Given onto the City bench for most of last season, with the 113-cap international restricted to just four cup appearances.

Although Given has two years left on his contract with City, new Villa manager Alex McLeish can offer him a regular starting role.

Villa are in the market for a new shot-stopper having seen Brad Friedel depart for Tottenham this summer.

Villa agreed £20m bid from Liverpool for Downing

2011-07-15T00:49:00.002+08:00

Aston Villa have revealed Stewart Downing handed in a transfer request prior to accepting a £20million bid from Liverpool for the winger.

Liverpool have moved a step closer to landing the England international after agreeing a deal with Villa with Downing set for talks with the Anfield outfit on Wednesday evening.

Villa were keen to keep hold of Downing, but they were forced to accept his departure after he handed in an official transfer request on Wednesday.

Villa's chief executive Paul Faulkner confirmed Downing handed in a transfer request and that they are now working on finding a replacement for the former Middlesbrough man.

"I can confirm that we have reached an agreement with Liverpool following an improved offer received earlier today and the submission of a formal transfer request by Stewart Downing, and have given them permission to speak with the player," said Faulkner.

"We believe there are replacements available in the market who can strengthen our squad ahead of the coming season, and we are in discussions as such. We are also working hard to conclude a deal for a goalkeeper who we believe can also strengthen the side."

Napoli name Hamsik asking price

2011-07-15T00:41:00.002+08:00

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has placed a €100 million (£88 million) price tag on Marek Hamsik.

Hamsik, 23, recently admitted he would welcome a move to AC Milan, one of the clubs reportedly keen to sign him this summer.

"The indecent proposal I referred to (earlier this month) would be of €100 million," De Laurentiis said. "Otherwise, Hamsik will remain here."

Hamsik, who joined Napoli from Brescia in 2007, is under contract with the Serie A club for another four years.

He scored 11 goals in 37 league appearances to help Napoli finish third last season and qualify for the Champions League.

Boateng finally set to sign for Bayern

2011-07-15T00:31:00.002+08:00

Bayern Munich and Manchester City have agreed a fee for Jerome Boateng and the defender will join the Bavarians subject to a medical, which he will undertake in the next few days.

Boateng had already agreed terms on a four-year contract, but City were reluctant to sell the Germany international, leading Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge to accuse them of refusing to discuss the transfer.

But the two clubs have now managed to thrash out terms, though neither disclosed the fee - thought to be in the region of £15 million.
There were intense negotiations and it took a long time to conclude the agreement but finally Bayern have got their first-choice central defender.

Boateng joined City from Hamburg in a £10 million deal last summer but struggled with form and fitness in 2010-11, making just 16 Premier League appearances.

Bayern's spending appears unlikely to end with the acquisition of Boateng, with manager Jupp Heynckes optimistic about completeing the signing of Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal from his former club Bayer Leverkusen.

Vidal has just one year remaining on his contract but Leverkusen insist the midfielder will not be allowed to join another side in the Bundesliga.

Heynckes said that Arturo Vidal will cone to Bayern If not this summer then next.

Portuguese giants Benfica have completed the signing of Belgium international Axel Witsel.

2011-07-15T00:23:00.002+08:00

Witsel, 22, joins from Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee and has signed a five-year deal including a €40 million buyout clause.

Having sought to leave Belgium in order to develop further as a player, the midfielder had an agreement with the club's previous board that they would not put too big a price-tag on him. The fee agreed is thought to be in the region of €8 million.

Current chairman Roland Duchatelet, who recently took over after buying all the club's shares, is not entirely happy with the deal. "These things bother me," he said. "I knew some of the best players would probably leave, but I'm not happy about this. A player can always refer to his contract, but the clubs do not seem to have that certainty."

Witsel told the Portuguese press: "I wanted to move to Benfica and I am happy it has turned out so well. Benfica is one of the great clubs in Europe.

"It was time for me to move after six years in the Belgian league. Portuguese football is very technical and that suits me. I think my performances with Standard in Europe must have pleased Benfica and I also showed them what I could do in the Belgian play-offs."

Witsel won the Belgian league twice with Standard and was awarded Belgium's highest individual accolade, the 'Golden Shoe', in 2008. Witsel was also influential in winning the Belgian Cup last season.

He added: "Winning the Belgian Cup is a great way of saying goodbye to the Standard fans. I played there since I was nine and want to thanks the fans and the club for their relentless support. I hope many Standard fans will keep track of what I do."

Portuguese legend Rui Costa, who is on the board of the club, said of the transfer: "We had been watching Axel for a while and absolutely wanted to get him to Benfica. We are happy he has made the move. We can be very ambitious with him in the team.

"Even at his young age, he has a lot of experience at international level. He is amazingly fit and has a great margin to get even better. Witsel will be in the squad straight away. I don't know whether he will play, though - that is up to the manager."

Witsel has scored five goals in 18 games for Belgium.