Football news round-up

Sunday 8 August

Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta has signed a new five-year deal at Everton, ending speculation that he could leave Goodison Park. "The chairman and the manager wanted me to stay 120 per cent and that makes me feel proud,” said Arteta, while manager David Moyes added: “He is a very important player for us and we are delighted to secure him.”
 
Cardiff City and ten-man Sheffield United drew 1-1 in the Championship. Welshman Ched Evans fired United ahead in the 24th minute before Matthew Lowton was red-carded for a challenge on Kevin McNaughton. Jay Bothroyd then rescued a point for the Bluebirds after 62 minutes.
 
Brazilian club Fluminense has announced the signing of Chelsea midfielder Deco, 32, on a two-year contract. Chelsea have yet to confirm the transfer but Fluminense expect to unveil him at a press conference on Monday.
 
Manchester City hope to complete the signings of Aston Villa midfielder James Milner and Inter Milan striker Mario Balotelli by Thursday. "We are close with both players but now they are going with their national teams," said manager Roberto Mancini.
 
Liverpool defender Phipp Degen, 28, has joined German club on loan for the 2010-11 season.
 
Meanwhile, Reds manager Roy Hodgson is keen to start negotiations over a new contract for defender Jamie Carragher, who has only one year remaining on his current deal.
 
Wigan completed their pre-season friendly campaign with a 3-1 victory at Dundee United, including a two goals from new signing Mauro Boseli and one from Victor Moses. Blackburn won 2-1 at Celtic with goals from David Dunn and Alan Judge while Sunderland lost 3-1 at German club Hoffenheim. Premier League new boys Blackpool lost 2-1 at home to Hibernian despite a goal from Jason Euell.
 
Celtic manager Neil Lennon says he expects winger Aiden McGeady to join Spartak Moscow in a £9.5m move this week.

Saturday 7 August

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has ruled out a move to Barcelona and said: “I am 100 per cent focused on Arsenal. I am a professional and I fully understand that it is Arsenal's prerogative not to sell me."

Tottenham will make their Champions League debut against Swiss side Young Boys. The winners of the two-legged tie will earn a place in the competition's group stages. Meanwhile, Spurs teenager John Bostock has joined Hull City on a season-long loan. He has also agreed a contract extension with Tottenham through to 2013.

Liverpool have drawn Turkish side Trabzonspor in the Europa League play-off while Manchester City must play Romanian side FC Timisoara and Aston Villa are up against Austria’s Rapid Vienna.

Two goals from Watford's Danny Graham helped his side towards a 3-2 win at Norwich City in the opening game of the Championship season on Friday night.

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick will miss the first two weeks of the season after sustaining an ankle injury in the club’s pre-season friendly against a League of Ireland side on Wednesday. It rules him out of Sunday’s Community Shield against Chelsea, United’s Premier League opener against Newcastle and England's friendly with Hungary on Wednesday.

Southend United have registered 17 players with the Football League on pre-contract deals after the lifting of their transfer embargo.

Cardiff City have registered loan signings Jason Koumas, Tom Heaton and Danny Drinkwater after declaring the Football League has lifted their transfer embargo.

Chelsea forward Didier Drogba is in line for a place on the substitute’s bench in Sunday’s Community Shield tie with Manchester United, but has been left out of the Ivory Coast squad for next week’s friendly against Italy as he recovers from a hernia operation.

Friday 6 August

Liverpool have advanced into the final qualifying stages of the Europa League after a 4-0 aggregate win over FC Rabotnicki. David Ngog and Steven Gerrard scored on the night for Roy Hodgson's men, following their 2-0 first leg victory.

Portsmouth have survived a winding-up order from the taxman at the High Court. The club faced liquidation had the HMRC successfully challenged a Company Voluntary Agreement but the High Court ruled in favour of the administrators.

Wigan have allowed midfielder Jason Koumas to go on a season long loan to Championship side Cardiff. Once the transfer embargo placed on the club is lifted, the Welshman will join the Bluebirds.

Nicolas Anelka insists Chelsea are ready for Sunday's Community Shield, despite having lost their past three pre-season games. He said: "I think we are improving in our play - we played well in some parts - and I hope we will be okay for Manchester United on Sunday."

Arsenal youngster Sanchez Watt has moved to Leeds on loan for the new season.

Sam Allardyce, the Blackburn Rovers manager, does not believe the club will be taken over in time for him to be given extra transfer funds in the current window.

Sol Campbell says he is unlikely to be fit for Newcastle's Premier League opener against Manchester United. Campbell said: "It's only a week to go until the United game so it's a little bit short for me, for sure."

Tottenham have been seeded for Friday's Champions League qualifying draw. Spurs have five possible unseeded opponents in the draw: Sampdoria, Dynamo Kiev, Auxerre, Braga or Swiss side Young Boys.

Real Madrid star Kaka has been ruled out for two months with a knee injury.

QPR have signed Tottenham's Adel Tarabt.

Thursday 5 August

Portuguese club Benfica have announced they have agreed an £18.2m deal to sell Brazil international midfielder Ramires to Chelsea, subject to a medical.

Syrian businessman Yahya Kirdi has claimed his consortium of Canadian and Middle East investors is in the "advanced negotiations" to buy Liverpool. The group says it has agreed a deal with American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks and is finalising a purchase agreement. Meanwhile, Hong Kong-based investor Kenny Huang has admitted has revealed he is yet to make a formal bid for the club.

Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive, has admitted the league must accept a portion of responsibility for England's poor performance at the World Cup. “We want the England manager to be spoilt for choice, we will take some of that responsibility," Scudamore said.

Sunderland have asked Manchester City if they can take England goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan as a temporary replacement for the injured Craig Gordon. “We've asked the question and we now just have to wait and see what City say,” said Sunderland manager Steve Bruce.

Bolton have signed Croatian striker Ivan Klasnic on a two-year deal after he became available from French club Nantes on a free transfer. Klasnic, who spent last season on loan at Bolton, said: “I spoke to the manager - he wants to work with me and I want to work with him. It was an easy decision to come back to Bolton.”
 
Blackburn chairman John Williams has revealed a number of parties are interested in buying the club after Indian businessman Ahasan Ali Syed expressed his interest in a takeover. Williams said: "There have been a number of interested parties for some time and discussions are ongoing."
 
The Premier League has agreed a three-year funding deal with Football League clubs worth £124m each season, in which parachute payments for clubs relegated from the top flight will rise from £32m over two years to £48m over four years. “It will make planning for the future that much easier," said Richard Scudamore, the Premier League chief executive.
 
Former West Ham and Tottenham defender Calum Davenport is training with Championship side Nottingham Forest as a free agent. “We're giving Calum the opportunity to train with us while giving ourselves the chance to take a look at him,” said Forest manager Billy Davies.

Preston have signed midfielder Darel Russell on a three-year deal after he left Norwich as a free agent. “It was a no-brainer from a footballing point of view,” said Russell.

Notts County have signed midfielder Matt Marshall on a sixth-month contract after he left Spanish side Elche on a free transfer.

Morecambe have signed striker Stuart Hendrie from Atherstone Town on a one-year deal for an undisclosed fee. “People who have worked with him say he is a great lad with a super attitude,” said assistant manager Mark Lillis.

Non-League Brackley Town striker Steve Basham is recovering in hospital after a challenge in a pre-season friendly resulted in a suspected collapsed lung. “It's not good to see one of your players in hospital with a tube in his chest,” said Brackley manager Jon Brady.
 
Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League at the first hurdle of the qualifying stages as they lost to Portuguese side Sporting Braga 4-2 on aggregate despite a 2-1 victory at Celtic Park.

Wednesday 4 August

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has committed his future to the club. The Spaniard has been linked with moves to Chelsea, Manchester City and Barcelona but insists he will remain at Anfield under new manager Roy Hodgson. Torres will still have Emiliano Insua as a team-mate at Anfield next season, though, after the full-back's move to Fiorentina fell through. The left-back has been unable to agree terms with the Serie A side.

Mark Hughes has been unveiled as Fulham’s new manager and says his top priority is to ensure last season’s Europa League finalists become a regular fixture in the top ten of the Premier League. "We want to make sure that Fulham is a top-10 club on a regular basis, which hasn't been the case in recent times,” said the former Manchester City and Blackburn manager.

West Ham have signed Portsmouth defender Tal Ben-Haim on a five-month loan deal.

In last night’s pre-season friendlies, Gareth Bale scored the only goal of the game as Tottenham beat Benfica 1-0. Elsewhere, Birmingham came from two goals down to win 3-2 at MK Dons, and Stoke beat Bristol City 3-2. West Ham drew 1-1 at Southend in the night’s other game.

Crystal Palace have signed Owen Garvan from Ipswich Town. The 22-year-old Irishman is the first player Palace have signed for a cash fee since entering administration last season.

Hull are not heading into administration, according to owner Russell Bartlett. "I can categorically state that administration is simply not on the agenda,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.

Leeds United have signed Arsenal winger Sanchez Watt on a season-long loan deal.

Manchester United defender James Chester has joined Carlisle United on a loan deal until 31 December.

Togo international Thomas Dossevi has joined Swindon on a one-year deal, with an option to extend it by a further year.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper David Button has joined Plymouth on a season-long loan deal.

Sean Hessey and Charlie Barnett have both signed one-year deals with Accrington Stanley after successful trials with the League Two side.

Lincoln City have extended the contract of striker Andy Hutchinson, with the frontman’s new deal now expiring at the end of the season.

Former Redditch United winger Callum Gittings has signed a one-year deal with Kidderminster Harriers.

Tuesday 3 August

Liverpool could be taken over by Chinese business tycoon Kenny Huang within days, according to a source close to the deal. Huang values the club at around £350m, but Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton is reported to be considering a number of offers which were made for the club last week.

Southend will not enter administration after settling their tax debts with the Inland Revenue. The League Two club were given an extra two weeks to pay off the debt by HMRC last month and have now agreed a partnership with Sainsburys where work will begin on a new ground and a flagship supermarket nearby.

Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira is unlikely to miss the start of the new season despite being sent off against his former club Inter Milan in a pre-season friendly. Vieira was shown a red card when his arm connected with Marco Materazzi but assistant coach Brian Kidd said: “Hopefully people will realise that it wasn’t a genuine foul.”
 
Rangers 'keeper Allan McGregor has been named in the Scotland squad for the friendly against Sweden on 11 August.  McGregor has been called up for the first time since a breach of team discipline back in April 2009.

West Ham manager Avram Grant is adamant that Carlton Cole will not be sold before the start of the new season. Cole has been strongly linked with a £9m move to Stoke, but Grant is desperate to keep the England striker at Upton Park. Grant said: “I don't want to sell him. He is working very hard now and his attitude is good.”

Ipswich coach Gary Ablett is undergoing hospital treatment after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The former Liverpool defender was taken ill at the training ground last week.

Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand could miss the start of the season after suffering a hamstring injury during the 2-1 friendly win over Leicester. Ferdinand will be assessed the medical team this week to reveal the extent of the injury.

Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez has signed for New York Red Bulls. The Mexico captain has followed in the footsteps of Thierry Henry and made a lucrative move into the MLS.

Monday 2 August

A number of Premier League clubs continued their pre-season preparations on Sunday. Arsenal lifted the Emirates Cup for the third time in four years after beating Celtic 3-2. Carlos Vela, Bacary Sagna and Samir Nasri scored the goals for Arsene Wenger’s men.

And Wenger has tipped midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong for a future with England – if he chooses to reject Ghana, the country of his birth. Frimpong has already played for the Young Lions at U16 and U17 level. “Here you have a boy who can choose between England and Ghana, so if I was in your place I would have no hesitation and invite him very quickly to play for England,” said the Frenchman.

Patrick Vieira was sent off as Manchester City lost 3-0 to Inter Milan in their pre-season friendly in Baltimore. Victor Obinna, an own goal by Joleon Lescott and Cristiano Biraggi sealed City’s fate.

Joe Cole’s first game for Liverpool ended in defeat as Roy Hodgson’s men lost 1-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach, Karim Matmour scoring the only goal of the game.

And Chelsea lost 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt, despite a goal from England midfielder Frank Lampard.

But there was some good news for the Premier League champions as manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed goalkeeper Petr Cech could return from a calf injury in time for the start of the season. “We hope Petr Cech can recover well before the start of the season,” he said.

And Ancelotti is adamant that England left-back Ashley Cole will stay at the club, despite being linked with a move to Real Madrid. "Ashley Cole will not be sold at any price,” said the Italian.

Avram Grant is confident that Matthew Upson will be fit for the start of the season after the West Ham centre-back was forced to sit out Saturday’s friendly against Ipswich due to injury. "I think he will be okay, but we need to see what the medical department say,” he told the club’s official website.

Everton boss David Moyes has dampened talk of a return to the club for American international Landon Donovan. "We'd love to have Landon [back] but he looks too expensive for us,” said the Scot.

Nottingham Forest will allow goalkeeper Paul Smith to leave the club, it has been announced.

Cardiff City manager Dave Jones has revealed he has turned down an offer from Ipswich Town for striker Michael Chopra. “Yes, we were offered money for Chopra but it was far less than what we owe so good business says keep him rather than sell him," he said.

Charlton Athletic have signed Pawel Abbott from Oldham Athletic for a fee of around £20,000.

Jason Beardsley has joined Macclesfield Town on a one-year deal after impressing manager Gary Simpson in pre-season.