Fiorentina still interested in buying Eboue

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli would love to have Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboue among his squad for next season.

La Viola have been linked to Eboue since the Ivory Coast international revealed last month that he could leave the Emirates Stadium after growing frustrated by his failure to hold down a regular starting spot.

His name was mooted as part of a possible swap deal involving Felipe Melo before the midfielder secured a move to Juventus.

And Prandelli has revealed they are still very much in the hunt for Eboue, who can also play in midfield.

"Eboue is a very important player,'' he said. "In attack he is second to very few players in his role.

"I'm not going to look at other positions because first we want to evaluate what we have in order not to make the slightest mistake in the market.

"We have to make targeted moves. Eboue has characteristics which we are definitely looking for.

"We want to attack a lot on the wings and so we need players who are good at forcing their way through and with good technical skills too.

"I repeat that this Arsenal lad has a stand-out driving force.

"I don't want to think about other roles at the moment, also because he is not yet our player.''

Eboue moved to Arsenal from Beveren in January 2005 and became a first-team regular in the second half of the following season.

However, inconsistent form has seen him overtaken by Bacary Sagna and Theo Walcott in the pecking order.

The 26-year-old was booed by the Gunners fans back in December after coming off the bench against Wigan and was himself substituted.



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Bolton sign Ricketts and Knight, close on Lee

Bolton have completed the signings of Aston Villa defender Zat Knight and Hull full-back Sam Ricketts on three-year deals.

Sam Ricketts is now a Trotter

Sam Ricketts is now a Trotter

Centre-back Knight, who has won two England caps, joined Villa in the summer of 2007 from Fulham in a £3.5million deal but struggled for regular first-team football, starting just 13 Premier League games last season.

Wales international Ricketts, who can play on the left or the right of a back four, started 27 of the Tigers' Premier League games in their debut season in the top flight.

They are Wanderers boss Gary Megson's third and fourth signings of the summer, with the club having brought in Sean Davis after his contract at Portsmouth expired and also defenderPaul Robinson from West Brom.

Bolton are also close to bringing in South Korea international Lee Chung-Yong from FC Seoul.

The 21-year-old has spent the past week in the north of England, where according to the K-League side Lee reached a verbal agreement on a three-year deal for a transfer fee of about £2.1 million.

"The contract will be signed officially after a work permit is issued,'' Seoul said in a statement.

Lee returned to Seoul on Friday confident the deal would go ahead.

"On my second day in England I had the medical tests and looked at the training facilities. I thought they were very good. I was jealous,'' he said.

"It was my dream to play there so I am so happy.

"To adjust quickly, I need to get to know my team-mates. I met manager Gary Megson a few times. He spoke to me but as I can't speak English, I couldn't understand him.

"We haven't quite agreed the details of the contract but we will do so when the work permit is sorted.

"In about 15 days I should get the work permit. Until it comes, I will spend my time training as hard as possible.''

Should the deal go through Lee, who has already made 15 appearances for the national team, would become the seventh Korean player to ply his trade in England.



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CITY MAKE MOVE FOR £15M TOURE


The Sunday Times claim that Manchester City want to sign Kolo Toure and 'expect' to recruit Arsenal defender, Joleon Lescott and John Terry before the transfer window closes next month.

According to the newspaper, 'Occasional Arsenal captain Toure has been seduced by City's standard double-your-money offer and following a season in which he was not consistently Arsene Wenger's first choice should be sold for around £15m.'

Toure's future at Arsenal has been in doubt for some time, with the defender understood to have handed in - and then withdrawn - a transfer request in January. More recently, he said he was back in love with the club. "People know I love the club, nobody can say I don't. I believe you can only truly love one club in your career and my club is Arsenal," he told The Daily Mail in May. On Thursday, his brother Yaya predicted he would stay at the Emirates.


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GUDJOHNSEN NOT SET ON ENGLAND


Eidur Gudjohnsen has revealed there is no guarantee he will be heading to England this summer.

The Iceland international is widely expected to be offloaded by Barcelona during the transfer window, with the European champions already well stocked in the attacking department.

The former Bolton and Chelsea frontman has been strongly linked with a return to the Premier League, with West Ham reported to be keen to strike a deal.

Gudjohnsen, though, insists he is yet to decide what his future may hold, and claims he has not set his heart on a second spell in the English top flight.

"Everybody just seems to think if I don't continue at Barcelona then I'll be coming back to England," he said.

"But England's not the only country that plays football. There are so many options.

"Quite honestly, I don't know where my future lies."

Gudjohnsen did feature for a young Barcelona side against Tottenham on Friday in their opening game of the Wembley Cup, but he accepts opportunities with the Catalan giants may be limited this season.

As a result, the 30-year-old knows he may be forced to move on in order to find the regular football he craves.

"I said it a couple of days ago that my future is at Barcelona, unless anything changes," he added.

"There's not much I can say, because I don't know myself.

"I need to play, simple as that. I'm a footballer and I love the game of football. I want to play as much as I can.

"But I enjoyed myself against Spurs and I thought I played some good stuff.

"I'm just concentrating on getting myself fit. If I get too involved in speculation then there's a risk I'll lose focus on keeping fit for a new season."


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BRUCE BIDDING TO LAND BENT


Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has revealed he is doing his "utmost" to try to sign Tottenham striker Darren Bent.

Bruce is anxious to improve his attacking options at the Stadium of Light and has already missed out on Portsmouth forward Peter Crouch.

Bordeaux ace Marouane Chamakh remains a target and England international Bent has also been heavily linked with a move.

The Black Cats' interest in the 25-year-old has now been confirmed, with Bruce admitting talks are ongoing between the two clubs.

A fee is believed to be the sticking point, with Spurs reportedly wanting to recoup the £16.5million paid to Charlton for Bent two years ago, while Sunderland valuing him at £12million.

"Darren Bent is another one where we are trying our utmost," said Bruce in the Sunday Sun.

"We have tried all summer for Peter Crouch and Darren Bent. Talks are ongoing as we speak at a high level.

"We hope we can do something with it, but as we have just experienced last week, we can get knocked back as well.

"We have to agree a fee - obviously it isn't done yet. But we are talking.

"The one thing I have to do to attract top players here is to make Sunderland an established Premier League team. It is a club that has been up and down too much in recent history."


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CROUCH SET FOR SPURS SWITCH


Paul Hart has confirmed Portsmouth have accepted a bid from Tottenham for Peter Crouch - and warned Pompey fans it is the start of a "modest" future.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has apparently succeeding in reuniting the striker with his former Pompey partner Jermain Defoe for around £10million.

Hart, who last week signed a two-and-a-half year deal to remain with the south coast club, claimed it was a result of a bid to balance the books following a period of unrealistic spending under Redknapp.

"Obviously I'm disappointed to see Peter leave, but given the severe financial restraints in place here we had no choice but to accept an offer from Tottenham," he told the Daily Mirror.

"I think people need to realise that Pompey have been punching above their weight and could no longer sustain the level of spending that has gone on here over the last three years."

Hart also insisted that the takeover spearheaded by Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim would not lead to a Manchester City style spending spree.

"Even though a new owner is poised to come in our dealings in the market will be modest in comparison to the past," added Hart.



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Mascherano wants Barcelona switch, says agent

Javier Mascherano is the latest Liverpool midfielder to declare his interest in a move to Spain.

Mascherano: Never short of an opinion.

Mascherano: Never short of an opinion.

Xabi Alonso spoke excitedly about Real Madrid's "impressive project" earlier this week, and now the Argentine midfielder's agent says he is fed up with life in England and wants a switch to Barcelona.

The 25-year-old has persistently been linked with a move to the European champions, but Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez insists he is not for sale.

That hasn't stopped Mascherano's agent, Walter Tamer, saying: "Barcelona is the easiest deal to set up as Javier wants to go to Spain. He is tired of life in England.

"His wife has not been given a permanent visa. She has to go through an odyssey each time she wants to go. Liverpool refuse to sell, this can be overcome with an extraordinary offer."

Before Liverpool left for a pre-season tour of the Far East Benitez said Mascherano and Alonso were central to his plans and would not be leaving Anfield.

"I do not think Alonso or Mascherano will go. It is clear that they both are under contract with long-term agreements. That is it," said Benitez.

"We signed them both from different situations. Alonso was coming from Real Sociedad and nobody had really heard much of him outside of Spain, he did well and we renewed his contract because of that.

"Mascherano came from West Ham where he had not been doing well. We brought him here and gave him a good contract, so we are very pleased with them both and that Liverpool has been very good to them."



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Chamakh: Sunderland talks at an advanced stage

In-demand Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh has revealed he is in advanced talks with Sunderland.

Marouane Chamakh

Chamakh takes a break in training.

The 25-year-old said earlier this week he had given up on his preferred move to Arsenal but still wanted a switch to England.

Chamakh refuted allegations he is seeking a transfer to the Premier League for financial reasons.

"Bordeaux have made me a more attractive proposition to stay," he said inL'Equipe. "So contrary to what some people say, I don't want to leave for money but to experience a new challenge.

"In France, it is impossible that I could go anywhere else than Bordeaux, because that club will remain in my heart. However, I have made the wish to have a new adventure in England, and I would like that idea to happen.

"The contact which has reached advanced stages is with Sunderland. Maybe for some people it is not a great club, but it is fine to me. I know it can be a step forward and it is what I want."

Fulham and Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in Chamakh but Sunderland, whose link was ridiculed by Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud earlier in July, appear to be in pole position.

Steve Bruce is stepping up his search for a striker after Peter Crouch decided against a move to the north east.


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Milan interested in Trezeguet swoop

AC Milan are considering an audacious bid for Juventus forward David Trezeguet to ease their striker shortage, coach Leonardo said on Wednesday.


The 31-year-old French striker has fallen down the pecking order in Turin and Juve officials have not discounted allowing him to leave.

A move to rivals Milan would not go down well with Juventus supporters but media reports say discussions have already taken place.

"I don't know at what point talks are at but Trezeguet is definitely an extraordinary player," Leonardo told Italy's Sky television from Milan's U.S. pre-season tour.

Milan, who finished third in Serie A last term behind Juve and champions Inter Milan, have been struggling to find a new forward after selling Brazil's Kaka to Real Madrid.

VfL Wolfsburg refused to let Edin Dzeko leave when Milan came calling while talks to bring Sevilla's Brazilian Luis Fabiano to the San Siro have stalled.



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Mikel signs new five-year deal at Chelsea

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has committed his future to the club by signing a new five-year contract.

Mikel: Five-year deal.

The 22-year-old, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Norwegian side Lyn Oslo in 2006, impressed in the holding role in the Blues midfield last term.

His new deal takes him up to the end of the 2014 season.

He said: "It was easy to commit because I am happy here and when the opportunity came it was good to sign after speaking to the club.

"My future with the new manager will be bright, and I think we have a good working relationship already.

"All the managers I have played for here have their own type of systems they want us to play, and whoever comes in will want to change little bits and pieces.

"There is not much to change but they all bring in different views, and the new manager wants us to play in a certain formation which we need to get used to before the season starts."



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