Soccer News Round-upArsenal will today complete the £4 million signing of Hatem Trabelsi from Ajax on a four-year contract. The Tunisian international right-back underwent a medical at Arsenal's London Colney training complex on Wednesday, before agreeing terms with the Premiership champions.
Arsene Wenger beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Juventus to the 27-year-old's signature and are set to play him against his former club in the two sides' Amsterdam Tournament friendly meeting on August 1st.
With Lauren, a converted midfielder who has been playing at right-back since the departure of Lee Dixon, having signed a contract extension, Arsenal appear overstocked in the position. However, the Cameroon international may return to midfield to fill the gap left by Ray Parlour's £1.7 million move to Middlesbrough, which was confirmed yesterday.
"Middlesbrough and Arsenal have agreed a deal," said Parlour's agent, Steve Kutner. "It pays Arsenal a substantial amount subject to appearances and Ray is taking a substantial pay cut in return for signing a three-year contract. He's excited about playing for Middlesbrough in Europe next season and very happy to extend his career because he only had one year left at Arsenal."
In a busy day of transfer activity for the champions, the 20-year-old defensive midfielder Mathieu Flamini joined them from Marseille. The transfer, which will prompt the France Under-21 international to sign his first professional contract after he rejected terms with the French side, will cost Arsenal less than a million pounds in tribunal-fixed compensation.
Wayne Rooney returned to Everton following his summer break yesterday with the teenager's future being thrashed out by the club's chairman, manager and his agent.
While the 18-year-old underwent a scan on the foot he fractured during Euro 2004, Bill Kenwright, David Moyes and Paul Stretford were locked in talks regarding Everton's offer of a £50,000-a-week, five-year contract. Further talks are scheduled before the board meets on Monday.
Everton, £40 million in debt, of which £30 million is securitised, are wary of negotiations dragging on until close to the August 31st transfer window when they may effectively have to accept a bid of around £20 million from Manchester United.
Monday's meeting, though, could be dominated by debate about the director Paul Gregg's proposals to dissolve True Blue Holdings, the group controlled by Kenwright, Gregg and Jon Woods which owns 72 per cent of Everton, in order to attract new investment.
Moyes and his squad fly out for a pre-season tour of Texas today but Duncan Ferguson will stay behind, along with Rooney. Ferguson has been refused entry to the US because of his conviction for assault on John McStay in 1995 which saw him jailed for six weeks.
Alex Ferguson yesterday admitted he may be tempted to try and draft in another left back as Gabriel Heinze has been called up by Argentina for the Olympics. It means the £6.9million recruit's debut will be delayed until September - at least.
Ferguson is livid that both Heinze and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo are heading for Athens.
And the consequences for the Argentinian could be serious. "The one thing very apparent in this situation is that here's a lad who may be denied an opportunity to get a career at Manchester United," said Ferguson.
"When I start the season I may have another left back because of this and he may never get a game.
"At least Ronaldo has proved himself as a Manchester United player so we know where we stand with him.
"It is a natural thing to want to play for your country, but I don't think the two players' careers are being considered here."
