Soccer – Transfer news:Sunderland have completed a deal to bring Ghana defender John Mensah back to the Stadium of Light, while newly-promoted Blackpool have been busy with four new signings.
Mensah has agreed a season-long loan similar to the one which saw the 27-year-old impress on Wearside last term after joining from Lyon.
He made 18 appearances in his first stint in the Premier League but saw his progress hampered by injuries.
His arrival swells the number of defenders at the Stadium of Light with manager Steve Bruce having already snapped up Titus Bramble from Wigan.
Bruce had always maintained he was eager to recapture Mensah but had to wait for a protracted agreement to be sorted.
And the former Rennes man's impressive displays for Ghana at the World Cup also meant there was the chance other clubs would try to step in.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has bolstered his squad with a quartet of signings.
Defender Craig Cathcart (21) joins from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee having agreed a three-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
Midfielder Ludovic Sylvestre (26) arrives from Czech side Mlada Boleslav on a two-year deal with the option of a further year.
A similar deal has been signed by Elliot Grandin, a 22-year-old French winger from Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia who has also had Ligue 1 experience with Marseille.
The 21-year-old midfielder Malaury Martin, who has been capped by France at various youth levels, joins on a free transfer from Monaco having been on trial for the last month, signing a one-year deal.