Charlton have completed the £750,000 signing of the Ipswich captain Matt Holland and given the midfielder a four-year contract.
The fee could rise to £900,000 - with instalments of £50,000 payable over the next three seasons - depending on Charlton retaining their Premiership status. A sell-on clause included in the terms of Holland's £800,000 move to Portman Road from Bournemouth in 1997 stated that the south coast club would be due 25 per cent of any sell-on fee above £800,000.
Ipswich had accepted a £4.5 million offer from Aston Villa only last August but he rejected the move.
Signing for Charlton, only three months after the same club signed Hermann Hreidarsson for £800,000 - also from Ipswich and for whom they accepted a £4.5 million bid from West Brom last year - means that the manager Alan Curbishley has effectively signed £9 million of talent for less than £2 million.
Rustu Recber has joined Barcelona on a Bosman from Fenerbahce. "My dream has always been to play for a big European team, and now I'm making it come true," the goalkeeper said. "I will work to represent Turkish football and Turkish goalkeepers.
"I'm 30 now. Goalkeepers can play at world-class levels even up to 35. I'd like to come back and retire at Fenerbahce after wearing the Barcelona colours."
Manchester United and Arsenal will be among the top seeds in next season's Champions League.
UEFA yesterday released the club coefficients which determine the sides to be ranked among the top eight and, as last season, the Premiership's top two are among the elite set along with Milan, Juventus, Lazio, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna and Bayern Munich.
Should they qualify Chelsea will be among a strong set of second seeds including Internazionale, Celta Vigo, Borussia Dortmund and UEFA Cup winners Porto.
Celtic, Newcastle and Rangers will be with the third seeds should they secure qualification for the group stage.
England's final home Euro 2004 qualifier against Liechtenstein on September 10th will be played at Old Trafford.
Everton's goalkeeper Richard Wright suffered a comic and distinctly costly injury when, already recovering from knee surgery, he fell out of his loft and separated a joint in his right shoulder.
The England international will be out for six to nine weeks and is doubtful to start the season in August. His manager David Moyes, currently on holiday in the US, was distinctly unimpressed when informed and is considering buying a replacement.
Harry Kewell's proposed move to Arsenal could be finalised before the end of the week after he informed Leeds he does not want to play for Peter Reid. Kewell has made it clear he is dubious about Reid's managerial style and the Australian forward is due for talks with the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the next 48 hours. In doing so, Kewell has turned down the chance to become the highest-paid player in Leeds's history, rejecting a new contract offering £48,000 a week before bonuses.
Provided Arsenal satisfy Kewell's financial requirements and the clubs can agree a suitable package, with Jermaine Pennant, Ray Parlour or Francis Jeffers possibly moving in the opposite direction, he should become Wenger's first signing of what promises to be a hectic summer of transfer activity at Highbury.
