[RedForceRising]

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...771294,00.html

Manchester City have released Paul Dickov, Geovanni and Emile Mpenza - paving the way for Blackpool, Hull and Ipswich respectively.

Dickov had loan spells with Crystal Palace and Blackpool last season after failing to establish himself in Sven-Goran Eriksson's first-team plans at City. The Tangerines are now likely to make the 35-year-old a contract offer to take him on a permanent basis.

Brazilian midfielder Geovanni, formerly of Barcelona and Benfica, leaves at the end of his one-year contract, and has been linked with Premier League new boys Hull.

Belgian striker Mpenza departs after 16 months with City and is likely to be on Jim Magilton's list of targets at Ipswich.

City have also released Roberto Mancini's son, Filippo.



Crespo shown door by Chelsea
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...771446,00.html

Hernan Crespo's Chelsea nightmare is finally over after the Blues decided to release him upon the end of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

Crespo had not actually played for Chelsea since the 2005/6 season after falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho.

The Argentinian spent the last two seasons on loan with Inter Milan, having played for city rivals AC in 2004/5.

Crespo was one of the first signings made by Claudio Ranieri after Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, scoring 12 goals in his opening campaign.

However, after Mourinho's arrival he was shipped out to Milan, playing and scoring in the Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in Istanbul.

A Chelsea statement read: "We thank Hernan for his efforts in a Chelsea shirt, and wish him well in the future."

[RedForceRising]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...771428,00.html

Villarreal have agreed a deal to sign Argentine starlet Damian Escudero from Velez Sarsfield.

Escudero has accepted a five-year contract with Villarreal, who will be competing in next season's UEFA Champions League.

The midfielder is still to undergo a medical with the Spanish club, while the fee is reported to be in the region of 5million euros (£4million).

The 21-year-old had made 70 first-team appearances for Velez and was also a member of the Argentina squad which won the Under-20 World Cup last year.

With Escudero arriving at Villarreal, Leandro Somoza has been allowed to link up with Velez on loan next season.

[RedForceRising]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...771900,00.html

Degen signs Reds contract
Defender to provide extra competition in Benitez's squad

Swiss full-back Philipp Degen has officially completed his free transfer move to Liverpool.

Degen was available on a Bosman deal after opting against signing a new contract at Borussia Dortmund.

Liverpool confirmed in May that Degen was on his way to Anfield and the right-back signed his four-year contract on Thursday.

He was part of Switzerland's Euro 2008 squad and will vie with Alvaro Arbeloa and Steve Finnan for a starting spot next season.

Player of potential

At the time of the signing, Reds boss Rafa Benitez admitted it was important to pick up free transfers in order to use his money on other areas of the squad.

"Sometimes you can find these players on the market," said Benitez on the club's official website.

"When you find a player like him who costs no money it means you can use money for improving other parts of the squad.

"He is a good signing, a player of potential, who can help us improve in the wide areas."


Sinama-Pongolle joins Atletico
Former Liverpool forward to play in Champions League
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...772523,00.html

Atletico Madrid have signed Florent Sinama-Pongolle from Recreativo for an undisclosed fee.

Sinama-Pongolle has impressed in Spanish football since originally joining Recreativo on loan from Liverpool in 2006.

He scored 12 goals during his first season in La Liga and 10 goals last term after joining Recreativo on a permanent basis.

The 23-year-old has now completed a move to Atletico after accepting a four-year contract at the Vicente Calderon.

The forward will be presented to the media on Monday and has the opportunity to play UEFA Champions League next term.



Kewell agrees Turkish move
Galatasaray announce deal for ex-Leeds and Liverpool winger
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...772590,00.html

Turkish champions Galatasaray have announced the signing of former Liverpool attacker Harry Kewell on a three-year contract.

Kewell had been available on a free transfer after not being offered a new deal at Anfield following five injury-plagued seasons with the club.

Portsmouth had been linked with a bid to keep the Australian in the Premier League, while Roma had been tipped to sign the 29-year-old.

The former Leeds United star had been coy regarding the rumours of a move to Italian giants Roma when quizzed on his future last month.

However, Kewell has now decided to head for Turkey after Galatasaray confirmed the signing on the club's official website.

The winger played against Galatasaray during his Leeds career when he was sent off in the Uefa Cup semi-final second leg in 2000.

Liverpool also met Galatasaray during the group phase of the UEFA Champions League in 2006/07, although Kewell missed both matches due to injury.

Kallio signs Fulham deal

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...772487,00.html

Finn secures permanent contract at Craven Cottage

Fulham have completed the permanent signing of Finland international Toni Kallio.

The defender originally moved to Craven Cottage on loan in January from Swiss club Young Boys.

Kallio did not make a first-team appearance for Fulham last season, but has been offered a long-term contract in West London.

He has clearly shown enough in training to convince Cottagers boss Roy Hodgson to keep him for the next two seasons.

A Fulham statement read: "The club can confirm that Toni Kallio has signed a two-year deal with Fulham which will see him remain at Craven Cottage until June 2010.

"The versatile defender can play at both centre and left-back positions and previously played for HJK Helsinki and Molde FK."

Schalke agree fee for Engelaar

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=762117
FC Schalke are thought to have finally agreed on a fee to sign FC Twente captain and Netherlands ace Orlando Engelaar...

The 28-year-old impressed at Euro 2008 with his country and reportedly caught the eye of one or two Premier League clubs, with Everton and Newcastle United getting specific mentions from the player's agent and various sections of the English press.

However, prior to the commencement of the tournament, it was already strongly suggested the powerful midfielder would be heading to Germany to link up with former Twente coach Fred Rutten.

Personal terms are thought to have been agreed long ago with wranglings over the transfer fee the only factor preventing the deal from being completed.

Rutten's replacement at Twente is former England boss Steve McClaren, who will no doubt be somewhat ruffled by losing his star player but equally optimistic about how he may go about rebuilding the squad in one or two areas with the money made from the transfer.

The fee is thought to be somewhere between £5-8 million and the move is expecting to be announced formally within the next few days.

Hans Schmidt, Goal.com


Stankevicius Joins Sampdoria
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=762365

With Christian Maggio leaving the Stadio Luigi Ferraris for Napoli in a £8 million move, quickly followed by the departure of Christian Zenoni to Bologna, Sampdoria were in the market for defensive reinforcements.

Stankevicius has played in several positions at the back, most frequently in the centre or at right-back domestically and internationally, giving manager Walter Mazzari some much needed versatility.

The 26-year old had two spells for Brescia, intersected by a short-lived move to Cosenza, but the move, for an undisclosed amount believed to be in the region of £950,000, now sees him join his fifth club.

A seasoned international, Stankevicius has already passed the quarter-century mark of appearances for the Lithuanian national side.

Will Wood

[RedForceRising]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...774055,00.html

Boro seal Emnes capture

Forward signs four-year deal for a fee of £3.2million


Middlesbrough have completed the signing of forward Marvin Emnes from Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam.

The 20-year-old has joined for a fee of €4million (£3.2million) and agreed a four-year contract at The Riverside after passing a medical.

Emnes reportedly attracted interest from a number of European clubs after he scored eight goals in 26 games last term and was named as Sparta fans' player of the year.

Boro, however, have won the race to secure his signature, and manager Gareth Southgate has expressed his delight at the capture.

"We feel we have signed an exciting young player in Marvin," Southgate told the club's official website.

Enthusiastic

"Last season was his breakthrough year at Sparta Rotterdam and he ended the campaign with a flurry, scoring eight goals in his final 10 games.

"He can play anywhere across the front line, so he has versatility to go with pace, energy and technical skills.

"Marvin is very enthusiastic about coming to England and the challenge of Premier League football.

"He also fits the profile of the sort of players we want at Middlesbrough, in that he is a young player with hunger, energy and pace."

[RedForceRising]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...776440,00.html

Hammers snap up defender

Eyjolffson becomes Curbishley's first summer signing

West Ham have swooped for Icelandic starlet Holmar Orn Eyjolffson.

The 17-year-old defender, who is already a member of Iceland's Under-21 side, has joined from HK Kopavogur on a long-term contract.

He had attracted the attention of a number of other clubs but impressed the Hammers during a trial spell in February.

Alan Curbishley has now pounced for his first signing of the summer and Eyjolffson is delighted with the move.

"I am really happy to sign for West Ham," Eyjolffson told the club's official website after completing his medical.

"I have heard of many good players that have come from the club's academy.

"When I was on trial in February I really enjoyed the tempo and style of training and it helped me take my talent to the next level.

"It is obviously very scary to move away from my family but it is my dream to play in England."


Ajax seal record deal

Sulejmani joins from Heerenveen for 16.25million euros

Ajax have smashed the Dutch transfer record after agreeing a fee with Heerenveen for forward Miralem Sulejmani.



The two clubs have been in discussions for some time and Ajax have now confirmed on their official website that they will pay Heerenveen 16.25million euros (£12.8million).

The previous transfer record also involved a deal between Ajax and Heerenveen, with Klaas Jan Huntelaar travelling to Amsterdam for 9million euros.

Sulejmani, one of the most exciting young players in world football, will now hope to pay back Ajax when the new season gets underway.

The 19-year-old has been in the Eredivisie since 2006 and last season he scored 16 goals in 34 games for Heerenveen.

He received the Johan Cruyff award for Talent of the Year in the Dutch league, and has already made his international debut for Serbia.

[RedForceRising]

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=763466

Inter Milan have signed highly rated young Foligno striker Stefano Giacomelli on a season long-loan.

The 18-year-old Giacomelli has shown great promise for Foligno, who last season narrowly missed out on promotion from Serie C1A into Serie B, when they lost in a playoff to Cittadella.

Inter have moved to snap up the highly rated young striker, and have secured the loan services of the teenager, with the later option of full ownership.

"This transfer demonstrates once again the excellent work done in recent years by the youth sector of the Biancazzurro," read a club statement from Foligno.

Inter have yet to make a big signing this summer, despite being reportedly close to Roma’s Amantino Mancini, Porto’s Ricardo Quaresma, and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard. The Nerazzurri have been picking up some promising youngsters though, and last month moved in on Treviso’s ironically-named frontman Jago Del Piero.

Luca Capofranco

[RedForceRising]

Vargas Joins Fiorentina
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=763679

Ever since the last matchday of the 2007/2008 Serie A season, in which Catania ensured their stay in the Italian top flight, Sicilian president Antonio Pulvirenti suggested that Peruvian full back Juan Manuel Vargas would leave to join Fiorentina.

Since that day, there has been a lot of talk about the move, but now it's official. Today Fiorentina announced on their official website that they have signed the 25-year-old player.

His presentation is planned for Saturday, but due to the preparations for the concert of famous Italian singer Luciano Ligabue, it will be impossible for the fans to participate in the event, which will be held behind closed doors.

Vargas' impressive performances for the Sicilian side even earned interest from Real Madrid at one point, but there was never much doubt that the Viola would land the player's signature.

Danilo Pochini

[RedForceRising]

Digard completes £4m Boro switch
http://www.teamtalk.com/football/sto...776937,00.html

Middlesbrough have signed Didier Digard from Paris Saint-Germain for £4million, with the midfielder penning a four-year deal at The Riverside.

The 21-year-old France Under-21 star has committed to the Teessiders until 2012 and is set to link up with fellow new signing Marvin Emnes, whose arrival was announced earlier on Friday.

The pair are expected to be on Teesside for pre-season training on Monday and manager Gareth Southgate will be relieved to have finally tied up the transfer after the player was suspended by PSG.

The French club were furious at Digard's allegations that they were holding up his switch to the Riverside.

Southgate told the club's official website: "I'm very pleased that we've been able to bring Didier into the club.

"As with Emnes, he is another exciting young talent who fits the profile of young, hungry and ambitious players that we want here.

"Didier has played for France at every level up to under-21 and will really add to the competitive nature of our squad.

"He is a holding midfielder, who is a good athlete and a strong tackler."



Dorrans completes Albion move
http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/...338319,00.html

GRAHAM Dorrans has completed his move to Albion in a £100,000 deal from Livingston.

The Scotland Under-21 international has penned a two-year Baggies contract, plus a further year's option in the club's favour.

The fee could rise by a further £150,000 depending on appearances.

The 21-year-old midfielder was named in last season's PFA Scottish League One XI and was voted PFA League One Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.

The Baggies agreed the move for the Lions' 12-goal top scorer in February after he impressed Tony Mowbray during a training spell at the club.

Dorrans, who has made three Under-21 international appearances, joined Scottish First Division outfit Livingston as a 13-year-old.

[Keano!]

I'm shocked that Newcastle let Emre and Carr leave.

I was of the opinion that they were two of their better players. Hmm....

...Emre was supposed to be the next big thing at the Toon!

[RedForceRising]

Originally Posted by Keano!

I'm shocked that Newcastle let Emre and Carr leave.

I was of the opinion that they were two of their better players. Hmm....

...Emre was supposed to be the next big thing at the Toon!

Carr?!?!?!!?

Just becuse he's Irish, Keano!

C'mon, I thought Carr was a poor player and was at fault for several goals they conceeded last season.