TRANSFER NEWS:LIVERPOOL HAVE rejected a €5 million bid from Real Madrid for Alvaro Arbeloa, but will allow the defender to return to the Bernabeu if they recoup €6 million for the Spain international.
Real, who have also lined up a €30 million offer for Xabi Alonso, made their first official move for the Liverpool right back following talks with the player’s agent, Manuel Garcia Quillon. The bid was instantly rejected by Rafael Benitez, who is also represented by Quillon, but Liverpool are likely to settle for a marginal increase with Arbeloa approaching the final 12 months of his Anfield contract.
The 26-year-old has also made no secret of his desire to sign for Real, where he failed to make an impact before leaving for Deportivo La Coruna in 2006.
“I am especially proud of what the club is doing,” Arbeloa said yesterday . “It is a big project with the return of Florentino (Perez, as president) and obviously if Madrid is fixed on you it makes you proud.”
Liverpool have received an offer from Malaga for their unwanted goalkeeper, Charles Itandje. The Frenchman still has two years remaining on a lucrative contract, but was fined two weeks wages for behaving offensively during the Hillsborough memorial service.
Meanwhile, Joleon Lescott will have to agitate for a move from Everton to Manchester City after officials at Goodison Park indicated a €18 million offer would be dismissed out of hand for the England international.
The 26-year-old is Mark Hughes’ main defensive transfer target this summer and Everton are braced for a big bid for a player they signed for €6 million from Wolverhampton three years ago. City are adamant they will not be held to ransom on any deals and believe they can entice Lescott to Eastlands by doubling his current wage to €94,000 a week.
Meanwhile, Phil Brown, the Hull City manager, has been fined €3,000 for improper conduct relating to comments made about Mike Riley after his side’s FA Cup defeat at Arsenal in March.
Brown had accused Riley of a “disgraceful” performance and of being influenced by the Arsenal fans. “We’ve not been beaten by Arsenal; we’ve been beaten by the referee and the linesman,” he said.
Brown had denied the charge, but it was found proven at an English Football Association hearing yesterday. He was also warned about his future conduct.
The match was one of the most controversial of last season: Hull accused Cesc Fabregas of spitting at their assistant manager, Brian Horton, although the Arsenal captain was later cleared .
Promoted Birmingham City have signed Ecuador defender Giovanny Espinoza from Barcelona Sporting, the Premier League club said yesterday.
“I think I can bring experience to the defence as I’ve played a lot of games at club level and for the national team,” the 32-year-old said.
Centre back Espinoza – Ecuador’s second most capped player – has signed a two-year deal and joins recent arrivals Christian Benitez, Scott Dann, Stephen Carr and Joe Hart at St Andrews.
France striker Djibril Cisse is set to join Panathinaikos after the Greek club reached an agreement with Marseille.
“Nothing is signed yet but Cisse is arriving in Athens tomorrow evening for the medical tests and to sign the contract,” a Panathinaikos spokesman said yesterday.
The 27-year-old, who is from the Ivory Coast, made his name at Auxerre in France before moving to Liverpool in 2004.
After three years in the English Premiership he joined Marseille, who loaned him to Sunderland where he scored 10 goals in 35 games last season. He has scored nine goals in 37 internationals.
GuardianService
- Liverpool have agreed to play a friendly match in west Cork in August. The English Premier League club will take on Dunmanway Town on August 6th. A pitch at the local community school is to be transformed into a stadium with a 4,000 capacity for the tie.
