Chelski have bought Makelele

[Turkey]

Chelsea have moved a step closer to signing Claude Makelele after agreeing personal terms with the French midfielder.

The France international will undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge over the weekend after Makelele agreed personal terms after also settling on a fee with Real Madrid.

Real were demanding £13.8m for Makelele, who has been involved in a protracted dispute with the Spanish giants. The eventual fee Real agreed with Chelsea was undisclosed.

A Chelsea statement read: "Chelsea and Real Madrid have agreed terms for Claude Makelele and Chelsea have agreed terms with the player.

"He will do a medical over the weekend and it is hoped that the transfer will be completed in time for the player to be qualified for the Champions League."

The signing will take Roman Abramovich's spending on new Chelsea players through the £100m barrier.

 

[Turkey]

Steve McManaman will return to England by signing a two-year contract with Manchester City, providing he passes a medical.

The former England midfielder reached an agreement with Real Madrid earlier on Friday to release him from his contract a year early.

He will undergo a medical at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday with City hopeful of completing the deal prior to Monday's closure of the transfer window.

McManaman will link up with old mate Robbie Fowler at City with Blues boss Kevin Keegan taking a plunge on the 31-year-old former England international, whose position at Real became untenable after new coach Carlos Queiroz told McManaman he had no chance of getting any first team action during the final season of his four-year contract.

Keegan, who earlier confirmed the £2.5m capture of Claudio Reyna from Sunderland, will hope McManaman can spark Fowler into life after some lacklustre displays from the former Liverpool hit-man since his £6m transfer from Leeds in January.

McManaman, who won the last of his 37 England caps against Greece last year, will become Keegan's seventh signing of a hectic summer which has also seen David Seaman, Paul Bosvelt and Michael Tarnat arrive at the club.

"We are delighted with the move for Steve as this shows our intent to continue to drive forward," said City chairman John Wardle.

"By bringing in players of the calibre of McManaman and Claudio Reyna, we are showing a real ambition to progress."

McManaman was picking up an estimated £60,000-a-week at Real and although he will earn nothing like that figure with City, he will become one of the club's highest earners and his arrival is bound to place a question mark over the first-team chances of promising youngster Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The transfer may also raise concerns at the number of over-30s in Keegan's squad. The only new arrival who has not already gone beyond that age is Antoine Sibierski, who is 29.
Choose another story...Roberts to choose Latics or LeicesterRovers tie up Ferguson signingInter's Viduka loan bid rejectedNewcastle handed Dutch test in Uefa CupRangers complete Emerson dealChelsea continue to chase MakeleleCottagers fuming at Reyna rejectionSt Mary's date for ErikssonJohnson let Leeds down - ReidRuud fired up for Battle of Britain

 

[Turkey]

Wigan have had a £2,500,000 bid for Jason Roberts accepted by West Brom, but the want-away striker may opt to go on loan to Leicester instead.

Roberts handed in a transfer request earlier this summer and the Baggies have finally agreed a fee for the 25-year-old striker.

If Roberts agrees to a move to the JJB Stadium, West Brom will receive £2m up front and a further £250,000 should the Latics reach the Premiership by 2005.

But if he turns down a move to Wigan, Albion have also agreed a season-long loan with Leicester for his services.

Baggies manager Gary Megson admitted he was sorry to see Roberts leave The Hawthorns.

He told the club's official website: "I'm disappointed it's come to this because I thought Jason would be a big asset in the First Division.

"But he's made it clear he doesn't want to stay at West Brom so we have to move on.

"It's up to Jason which club he joins and we wish him all the best at whichever one he chooses."

Chairman Jeremy Peace added: "We reluctantly accepted Jason's transfer request on Thursday, 3 July.

"We have fully explored all our options since and Wigan are the only club to have produced an offer the board finds acceptable.

"However, should Jason feel on footballing grounds he doesn't want to go there, we have also accepted a season-long loan offer from Leicester City.

"Although loaning Jason out was never our preference, this way he would get Premiership football while we would be suitably recompensed as Leicester have matched the terms we proposed."
Choose another story...City on verge of bringing Macca back to EnglandRovers tie up Ferguson signingInter's Viduka loan bid rejectedNewcastle handed Dutch test in Uefa CupRangers complete Emerson dealChelsea continue to chase MakeleleCottagers fuming at Reyna rejectionSt Mary's date for ErikssonJohnson let Leeds down - ReidRuud fired up for Battle of Britain

 

[Turkey]

Blackburn have sealed their £7,500,000 move for Barry Ferguson, with the Scotland midfielder joining Rovers on a four-year deal from Rangers.

Ferguson has agreed a contract at Ewood Park until 2007 after requesting a move away from the SPL champions.

The 25-year-old joins Lorenzo Amoruso, Brett Emerton, Steven Reid and Markus Babbel at Blackburn - the latter signing on a season-long loan from Liverpool.

Rovers manager Graeme Souness firmly believes Ferguson will prove he is one of the best midfielders in the game.

He said: "I see Barry being an outstanding player for this club.

"I think over the next five, six to seven years, he will be regarded as one of the best central midfield players around in the Premier League.

"But he is a young fella who will come here with a lot to prove. There's a feeling in England that the Scottish league is not that competitive.

"But I can tell you that I've been there and played for Glasgow Rangers and they never have an easy game of football.

"It's like playing for Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea today. If you are playing for them a particular game might not be the biggest in your mind, but whoever you are playing, it's their cup final.

"That's what it's like all the time for Rangers and Celtic."

After lengthy negotiations with Gers chairman David Murray, Souness at last has his man in Ferguson, despite his Ibrox connections cutting no ice during the talks.

"We have been dealing with someone who is the best wheeler-dealer I've ever come across, so I knew before I picked the phone up it was not going to be an easy deal to do," added Souness.

"I have learned my trade under him, so I had an advantage, but there was no quarter asked and none given. In the last week in dealing with David, the term 'no friends in business' came into play.

"We were always in the box seat because of my relationship with David and providing we came up to the evaluation then we were always going to get the player.

"I think we've done good business and Rangers have done good business."
Choose another story...Inter's Viduka loan bid rejectedNewcastle handed Dutch test in Uefa CupRangers complete Emerson dealChelsea continue to chase MakeleleCottagers fuming at Reyna rejectionSt Mary's date for ErikssonJohnson let Leeds down - ReidRuud fired up for Battle of BritainWolves seal Gudjonsson dealBlues linked with Carew swoop

 

[brighton rock]

Steve McManaman will return to England by signing a two-year contract with Manchester City, providing he passes a medical.

The former England midfielder reached an agreement with Real Madrid earlier on Friday to release him from his contract a year early.

He will undergo a medical at the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday with City hopeful of completing the deal prior to Monday's closure of the transfer window.

McManaman will link up with old mate Robbie Fowler at City with Blues boss Kevin Keegan taking a plunge on the 31-year-old former England international, whose position at Real became untenable after new coach Carlos Queiroz told McManaman he had no chance of getting any first team action during the final season of his four-year contract.

Keegan, who earlier confirmed the £2.5m capture of Claudio
Reyna from Sunderland, will hope McManaman can spark Fowler into life after some lacklustre displays from the former Liverpool hit-man since his £6m transfer from Leeds in January.

McManaman, who won the last of his 37 England caps against Greece last year, will become Keegan's seventh signing of a hectic summer which has also seen David Seaman, Paul Bosvelt and Michael Tarnat arrive at the club.

"We are delighted with the move for Steve as this shows our intent to continue to drive forward," said City chairman John Wardle.

"By bringing in players of the calibre of McManaman and Claudio Reyna, we are showing a real ambition to progress."

McManaman was picking up an estimated £60,000-a-week at Real and although he will earn nothing like that figure with City, he will become one of the club's highest earners and his arrival is bound to place a question mark over the first-team chances of promising youngster Shaun Wright-Phillips.

The transfer may also raise concerns at the number of over-30s in Keegan's squad. The only new arrival who has not already gone beyond that age is Antoine Sibierski, who is 29.
Choose another story...Roberts to choose Latics or LeicesterRovers tie up Ferguson signingInter's Viduka loan bid rejectedNewcastle handed Dutch test in Uefa CupRangers complete Emerson dealChelsea continue to chase MakeleleCottagers fuming at Reyna rejectionSt Mary's date for ErikssonJohnson let Leeds down - ReidRuud fired up for Battle of Britain

Macca, Reyna.
I know a song about that

 

[Gwylan]

Makelele's a good buy for Chelsea. He's exactly the kind of player they're missing. I might put money on Chelski to win the league now. Ferguson's a good buy for Blackburn tool

How come Wigan are splashing out two and half mill on a player? The world's gone mad.