SOCCER: Glenn Roeder completed his first incoming deal of the close season yesterday when he signed the Wimbledon and Ireland striker David Connolly for £285,000. Mark Tallentire and Michael Walker report.
The West Ham manager, who sold Glen Johnson to Chelsea and Trevor Sinclair to Manchester City this month, was quick to move for the 36-cap Republic of Ireland forward, who has signed a three-year deal at Upton Park.
Connolly (26) scored 42 goals in 63 league starts for Wimbledon over two seasons, having joined them on a free transfer from Feyenoord.
Roeder is also close to agreeing a contract with Rob Lee, now a free agent.
Tottenham hope to complete the signing of the South African defender Mbulelo Mabizela today. The 22-year-old captain of Bafana Bafana will undergo a medical and try to complete his move in time to face PSV at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Orlando Pirates are believed to want about £500,000 for Mabizela, who made a huge impression on the manager Glenn Hoddle while playing against Spurs during their tour of South Africa and returned with the Tottenham squad to begin talks.
"I'm very pleased to be with the team and I'm looking forward to playing football now," he said. "It's a great opportunity for me to come and join a big Premiership team. It's been my biggest dream to come and play in England.
"Players like Lucas Radebe, Shaun Bartlett and Quinton Fortune have opened the gates for up-and-coming stars in South Africa and I will try my best to follow them."
Mabizela, who can operate at central defender or full back, was recently named the South African Premier League player of the year and will become Hoddle's third summer signing after Helder Postiga and Bobby Zamora.
Arsenal's unsettled Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu is poised to sign for Al-Ittihad in Qatar. Kanu, 27 today, will join the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Steffen Effenberg and Frank Leboeuf, who have all signed to play in the lucrative league.
Chelsea were last night in negotiations with the Leeds United goalkeeper Nigel Martyn over a £500,000 transfer for the former England player. Martyn has a season left on his contract at Leeds but it is believed Chelsea will offer him a two-year deal.
Martyn, 37 in 10 days time, is being signed as cover as Jurgen Macho, signed on a free from Sunderland for the same reason, but who then sustained an injury, is out for the season.
With Paul Robinson expected to leave Elland Road this summer, Martyn had been pencilled in as Peter Reid's new number one, but there have been no takers for Robinson and Martyn would have started the season on the bench. He will be on Chelsea's instead, but they are a considerably more stable club, at least financially.
Ed de Goey, the previous number two to Carlo Cudicini, has been released, but as well as Macho, Chelsea have also signed Chievo's Marco Ambrosio.
Chelsea have also agreed an arrangement with the Auckland Kingz, a deal intended to give the Londoners access to some of Oceania's talent. The Kingz, who play in Australia's National League, will also be used to ground some of the London club's young players.
"It gives the opportunity for our players to gain experience in a different environment, gives Chelsea access to the best talent in New Zealand and Australia and opens up playing and coaching exchanges," said Trevor Birch, Chelsea's chief executive.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are in talks with the Chinese club Dalian about starting up a new team, Hong Kong United.
Blackburn have completed the £1.5 million transfer of Vratislav Gresko from Parma after obtaining a work permit for the Slovakian defender, who spent three months on loan at Ewood Park last season.
Wolverhampton have signed Sunderland's Jody Craddock for £1.75 million while West Bromwich have landed Artim Sakiri, the man who scored from a corner against England in last season's 2-2 draw with Macedonia, from CSKA Sofia for a nominal fee.
They also completed a £520,000 deal for the Ipswich defender Thomas Gaardsoe.
