Blackpool accept Cardiff's Ince bid

     Blackpool have accepted an offer from Cardiff City for England U-21 winger Thomas Ince according to his manager and father Paul Ince.

     The 21 year-old scored 18 times last season and is tipped to be a great player.

     Father Paul Ince thinks it is only '50/50' that his son will join the Bluebirds and the fee is reported to be £8 million.

     Reading were interested but they soon were put off by the price tag. Liverpool also were interested and they nearly signed Ince but again the value of the player brought the deal to a halt.

Bornemouth sign Ian Harte

     Newly promoted Championship side Bournemouth have signed former Reading defender Ian Harte on a one year-deal.

     The 35 year-old full back was released by the Royals in May following relegation to the Championship.

      Harte played 99 appearances in 3 years at the club. He has played in Spain as well as England, the veteran has Levante as one of his many former clubs.

Blackburn cancel Gomes contract

     Blackburn Rovers have terminated Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes' contract with the club by mutal consent.

     Gomes, 36, was signed by Blackburn in July 2012, and made an instant impact, scoring four goals in six games for Rovers. However he went on a goal drought of 14 games.

     The ex- Fiorentina and Benfica striker was not guaranteed first team football this season.

Stoke sign Pieters from PSV

     Stoke City have signed Dutchman Erik Pieters from PSV Eindhoven for a fee of 3.6 million euros, which is around £3m.

     The defender is Mark Hughes' first signing as Stoke boss, Pieters has put pen to paper a four year deal.

     The 24 year-old can play as a left back and a centre back. The ex- Utrecht player has played 24 times for his country and won Eredivisie runners up last season.

Hull sign Elmohamady for £2m

     Newly promoted Premier League side Hull City have signed Ahmed Elmohamady from Sunderland for a fee of £2 million.

     Playing a crucial part in Steve Bruce's sides promotion, the Egypt international was on loan to Hull last season. He signed a three year deal at the KC Stadium.

     The 25 year-old played an enormous 41 games last season, scoring 3 times.

Bosseli leaves Wigan for Club Leon

     Wigan Athletic striker Mauro Bosseli has left the club to join Mexican side Club Leon for an undisclosed fee.

     The Latics broke their transfer record to buy the Argentine from Estudiantes, for £6 million in 2011.

     Bosseli smacked home the winner in the FA Cup against Bornemouth which started the clubs epic cup run last season.

     Italian side Palermo had Bosseli on loan last season.

 

Djibril Cisse leaves QPR

     Former French international Djibril Cisse has left Queens Park Rangers by mutal consent and will be a free agent on 1st July.

     The ex-Liverpool striker scored 4 goals in 21 appearances last season and was loaned to Qatar side Al Gharafa. Cisse, 31, joined Rangers from Lazio in 2011 and scored twice in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa which was his debut.

     Meanwhile QPR midfielder Tom Hitchcock has signed a new one-year deal with the club.

Chelsea's Marin goes to Sevilla on loan

     Chelsea and Germany winger Marko Marin has been sent out loan to Spanish side Sevilla for the whole of next season.

     The German international signed for Chelsea from Werder Bremen last summer for £7 million but has hardly had a chance to play at Stamford Bridge.

     If the 24 year old would of stayed with the Blues his chances to play would be more limited than ever after the arrival of Bayer Leverkusen's Andre Schurrle

Arshavin joins Zenit on a free

     Former Arsenal winger Andrey Arshavin has joined Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg on a free transfer.

     The 32 year-old has signed a two year contract with the Russians after being one of the 14 players released by the Gunners.

     Arshavin started his career at Zenit and made his debut in a 3-0 win over Bradford City in 2000. Zenit submitted a statement about Arshavin saying that one of the best Russian footballers is returning to his home country.

Cardiff agree £7.5m Cornelius transfer

     Premier League new boys Cardiff City have agreed a deal with FC Copenhagen for Danish international Andreas Cornelius for £7.5 million, which will break their transfer record.

     The 20 year-old scored 18 goals in the Danish Superliga which made the 6ft 4in striker top scorer of the league.

     The fee would thrash the previous transfer record of the Bluebirds which was £3 million paid to Sunderland for Michael Chopra.

Garcia named Brighton coach

     Brighton & Hove Albion have announced that former-Maccabi Tel Aviv manager Oscar Garcia is their new head coach.

     The 40 year-old who left Tel Aviv last month, will take up the role on Thursday.

     Former Brighton boss Gus Poyet was sacked on Sunday, but the Uruguayan is set to appeal against the decision.

     Garcia has played at Barcelona, Valencia and Espanyol throughout his playing career.

Real Madrid agree Isco deal

     La Liga giants Real Madrid have won the battle against Manchester City for Malaga ace Isco, agreeing a £23m fee.

     Isco, 21, has become Carlo Ancelloti's first signing as Madrid boss. New City gaffer Manuel Pellegrini was Isco's manager at Malaga and the attacking midfielder said that he was the 'footballing father'.

     The Spaniard has a £30m buy-out clause.

Brazil 2-1 Uruguay: Dramatic Paulinho header wins it

     An 86th minute header from Paulinho won the game for Brazil against Uruguay in a very physical match.

     Idiotic defending from David Luiz as he pulled captain Diego Lugano to the floor resulted in a penalty to Uruguay. Veteran Diego Forlan took it, and he put the ball down the right hand side of the goal, but Julio Cesar brilliantly saved it.

     It was a very steady game, Hulk having the only good chance, smacking it over the bar after good play between the Zenit man and Fred.

     Then, Marcelo chipped a long ball to Neymar and he exquisitely chested the ball and shot, but it was saved. Fortunately, Fred was in the right place at the r
ight time to shin the ball into the net.

     After half time, Uruguay attacked and scored via Cavani's low drive into the bottom corner. The Napoli striker intercepted a shambolic pass from Thiago Silva.

     A substitution which lit up the crowd was Bernard coming on for Hulk. The had and instant impact as a quality low cross from the Tottenham target was volleyed over the bar by Fred.

     A bullet header from Paulinho sparked wild celebrations in Brazil. Uruguay had a few last minute set pieces which were nervy times for the Brazilians but they held on.

Gerrard set for pre-season return

     Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he is on course to return for pre season training after a shoulder operation.

     The 32 year-old missed the last two games of Liverpool's campaign (Fulham and QPR) because of the injury. He underwent surgery after being forced to play three months with the pain.

     It is looking good for the midfielder ahead of the next World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine which is on 6th and 10th of September.  

D. Lugano accuses Neymar of diving

     Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has said that Neymar 'fools referees' ahead of his countries Confederations Cup semi final match against Brazil.

     The Paris Saint Germain defender has warned Chilean referee Enrique Osses to be wary of the new-Barcelona mans diving.

     Neymar, 21, has scored in all three cup matches and has been named Man of the Match in all of them.

Derby reject Wigan's £1m Brayford bid

     Derby County have rejected a bid from fellow Championship side Wigan Athletic for defender John Brayford.

     The 25 year-old has been linked with many other clubs, Cardiff City amongst the rumours.

     The Rams are hoping he signs a new deal with Nigel Clough's side because he has 12 months left on his current contract and is a hot prospect for the future. Brayford joined Derby from Crewe Alexander in 2010.

Macclesfield offer playing for £20,000

     Conference Premier League side Macclesfield Town are giving away the chance for one person to play for them, in exchange for £20,000.

     The successful applicant will play for the Silkmen for 10 minutes of a Conference or a cup game. Macclesfield will only pick fit males between 18 and 35, and they do not have to be a fan of the club.

     Jon Askey's side need £100,000 to stop them from entering administration. 

Turkish giants banned from competing in Europe

     Turkish sides Fernebache and Besiktas have been banned from competing in Europe by UEFA for match fixing charges.

     Fernebache have been given a two year ban and will miss this years Champions League. Besiktas however, only get a years ban which means someone has to replace them in the Europa League.

     In July 2012, 93 people- including club officials, coaches and players - were charged in a civil trial which centred around Fernebache's league-winning run of 2011.

Juve agree deal for Tevez

    Serie A champions Juventus have agreed a deal with Manchester City for Argentine striker Carlos Tevez in a transfer that will cost around £12 million.

     City accepted a £10m transfer fee, £2m add-ons  and a three year contract from Juve. The 29 year-old is expected to have his medical in Italy on Wednesday.
 
     On the 27th September 2011, Tevez reportedly refused to warm up and go on as a substitute in City's 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich. Mancini has said that he will never play for the Blues again but on 21st March 2012, he was brought on as a substitute in the 2-1 win against Chelsea and played many more after that. 

Swansea in talks over second De Guzman loan

     Swansea City are in talks to sign Villarreal playmaker Jonathan De Guzman on a second season-long loan deal.

     The Swans chairman Huw Jenkins has said that he has spoke to the Dutch midfielder's agent and they are close to wrapping up a deal. De Guzman scored 8 goals in 45 appearances for Michael Landrup's side last season, two of them in the Capital One Cup final against Bradford.

     Villarreal returned to the Spanish La Liga after defeating Almeria 1-0 in the play-off.
 

Hull sign Blues defender Curtis Davies

     Hull City have announced the £2.25 million signing of Birmingham City defender Curtis Davies.

     The ex-Aston Villa centre back passed a medial at the KC Stadium while also agreeing a three year contract with the newly promoted Premier League club.

     The 28 year old started his career at Luton Town, then moved to West Bromwich Albion. He was loaned to Villa then he signed on a permanent basis, for £9.5m. He moved to Birmingham City in 2011.

League 2 player banned for two years after taking drugs

     Fleetwood Town midfielder Gerard Kinsella has been banned from football for two years after testing positive for steroids.

     The League 2 player admitted to the FA after failing a drugs test in February.

     The 21 year-old was given the drug by his cousin who claims he didn't know that it was a performance enhancing substance. He was injected with it twice to ease the pain on his left shoulder.

Blanc moves to PSG, Ancelloti goes to Real

     Paris Saint Germain and ex Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelloti has left the French giants and moved to Spain, where he now manages Real Madrid. Former France international Laurent Blanc has replaced Ancelotti.

     After Jose Mourinho left Madrid, Real searched for a new boss, Champions League winning manager Jupp Heynckes being one of the favourites, and finally agreed that Ancelotti was their man. The 54 year-old guided PSG to a Ligue 1 win and a last 16 place in the Champions League before being knocked out by Barcelona.

     Blanc, 47, is regarded as a legend in France and PSG fans will be happy with the appointment of the Frenchman. He has signed a two year contract at the Parc des Princes.

Chelsea seal £18m Schurrle deal

     New Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has completed his first signing since joining the Blues, signing Bayer Leverkusen winger Andre Schurrle for £18 million.

     The German international has been a long term target for Chelsea and now they have completed the deal, the 22 year-old signing a five year contract with the club.

     He made many solid appearances (scoring in 11 occasions) for Leverkusen, helping them grab 3rd place and, more importantly, a Champions League qualifying spot. The former- Mainz player has racked up 24 caps for his country, and 7 goals.

Wanyama in Southampton talks

     Premier League side Southampton are talking to Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama after the two clubs agreed a £12 million transfer fee.

     The Kenyan has impressed since moving to the Scottish side in 2011 from Beerschot for £900,000. The 21 year-old is yet to agree personal terms with Mauricio Pottechino's side.

     The fee has been announced at £12 million but Celtic boss Neil Lennon has said that the 21 year-old costs £25m.

Celtic play NI side Cliftonville in CL

     Scottish giants Celtic will face Northern Irish side Cliftonville in the Champions League second qualifying round stage.

     Neil Lennon's club were seeded in a draw in Switzerland.

     Fellow Scottish side Hibernian will play either Ireland's Droghead United or Swedish giants Malmo in the Europa League second qualifying round. St Johnstone will play Northern Irish side Crusaders or Norwegians Rosenborg.

Veteran Dunn signs new Blackburn contract

     Former England international David Dunn has signed a new one year contact with Blackburn Rovers.

     The Championship side have negotiated with the midfielder for several weeks. The experienced 33 year-old,who won an England cap in 2002, is considered as a fans favourite at Ewood Park. During his two spells with Rovers, he has played 342 games, 18 of them being last season.

Brighton sack Poyet while on air at BBC

     Championship side Brighton sacked manager Gus Poyet while he was covering on a match as a pundit on the BBC.

     Poyet, 45, was given a statement from Brighton by the BBC when covering on the Confederations Cup.

     In May, the Uruguayan was suspended and the club said they would appoint an interim while the decision was pending. The former Chelsea player led the Seagulls to 4th place last season but lost in the Play-Off semi-final against Crystal Palace.

Paulinho announces Tottenham bid

     Corinthians and Brazilian midfielder Paulinho has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur have bid for him but will not answer until after the Confederations Cup.

     The 24 year-old says he will discuss the offer with his family before he makes up his mind. Picking up an ankle injury, he did not play in Saturday's 4-2 win over Italy.

     The fee is rumoured to be £17 million.

Villa's Holman set for Dubai move

     Aston Villa midfielder Brett Holman has left the club by mutual consent and is to join Dubai club Al Nasr.

     Holman, 29, left Dutch club AZ Alkmaar last summer for Villa on a free transfer.

     The Australian international helped his country to seal a place in the 2014 World Cup after beating Iraq 1-0.

     He made 27 league appearances this season, scoring in one occasion, in the 1-1 draw against QPR.

Thibaut Courtois extends Atletico loan

     Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has agreed to go out on loan to Atletico Madrid for the third consecutive season.

     The 21 year-old joined Chelsea from Genk in 2011 on a 5 year deal.

     They immediately sent him out on loan to Madrid in Spain and after a successful spell, the Belgian did it again in the 2012/13 season. Throughout the two years at Atletico, he won the Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. The 6ft 6in keeper was in La Liga Team of the Year last season.

Reading sign former Madrid winger Drenthe

     Reading are starting life in the Championship to a boost after signing former Real Madrid and Everton winger Royston Drenthe for an undisclosed fee from Russian side Alania Vladikavkaz.

     The 26 year old signed a 2 year contract with the club. The move is subject to international clearance from the Russian FA.

Liverpool to sign Sevilla's Luis Alberto

     Liverpool are set to make Sevilla starlet Luis Alberto one of many expected summer signings, the Spaniard is to cost the Reds around £6.8 million.

     The 20 year-old is currently on loan to Barcelona B but they are allowing Liverpool to step in.

     Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is also going to join Brendan Rodgers side for a fee of £9 million, Celta Vigo's Iago Aspas is moving to Merseyside for £7 million, and Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is being monitored by Liverpool.

Confederations Cup: Italy 4-3 Japan

     Italy fought back in a highly entertaining game to knock Japan out of the Confederations Cup while also progressing to the semi-finals of the competition.

     22 minutes in, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon received a poor back pass from AC Milan's Mattia De Sciglio which meant Shinji Okazaki was in on goal. Buffon slid in on the striker, was shown a yellow card and gave away a penalty. As normal, Keisuke Honda stepped up to take it and smashed it down the bottom right hand corner to give Japan the lead.

     Man United's Shinji Kagawa scored the second, volleying in a Yasuyuki Konno's high ball which the Italian defence, somehow didn't clear.

     5 minutes before half time, Andrea Pirlo whipped in a corner and Roma's Daniele De Rossi scored a bullet header from 6 yards out.

At the start of the 2nd half a good run from Emanuele Giaccherini ended in Schalke's Atsuto Uchida putting the ball in his own net.

     Japanese captain Makoto Hasebe gave away a penalty after he blocked the shot and just touched his arm. Mario Balotelli dispatched it, sending the keeper the wrong way.

     Japan midfielder Yasuhito Endō crossed in a free kick on the right hand side of the pitch and it met Okazaki who headed the ball in to equalize.

     Juve's Giovinco tapped in fellow club team-mate Claudio Marchisio's cross to give Italy the lead at the 85th minute. The Azzuri concentrated and kept out Japan from equalizing.

City agree £17m fee for Sevilla's Navas

     Manchester City have agreed a deal with Spanish side Sevilla for Spain international Jesus Navas, for a fee of £17 million plus add on's.

     The 27 year-old has made over 20 caps for Spain and the winger scored the only goal in Spain's 1-0 win over Croatia in Euro 2012.

     Navas says that the move was decided some time ago and that it was his choice to move from Sevilla. All his life, Navas has suffered from chronic homesickness. Rejecting a move to Chelsea in 2006 was because of the fear of living abroad.