Football news

Lassana Diarra is set to complete a move to Real Madrid after the Primera Liga club had a 'substantial' bid for the midfielder accepted by Portsmouth.

The 23-year-old, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, has been given permission to talk to the Spanish champions.

Although the exact sum Real Madrid have offered is unknown, reports have suggested the deal could earn the south coast club as much as £24 million.

"We have always said we would only allow our players to leave if we received an exceptional bid," a Portsmouth spokesman said.

"Should the deal be completed, the club have already identified possible replacements."

Eduardo makes reserves appearance

Eduardo Da Silva has set his sights on returning to the Arsenal squad in time for his team's FA Cup third round tie against Plymouth in two weeks' time.

The Croatia striker played his first game after 10 months out with a broken leg in the reserves' 2-0 win over Portsmouth on Tuesday night.

Eduardo was happy to have finally got 45 minutes of competitive action under his belt again, coming off at half-time as a precaution after feeling a twinge in his hamstring.

"I hope I can do more, and that next time will be better," Eduardo told Arsenal TV.

"I need more training and games, and if everything is okay, then hopefully in two weeks."

Moratti wants Adriano to stay with Inter

Inter president Massimo Moratti is confident Adriano will remain with the Serie A club despite reported interest from Chelsea and Flamengo.

The Brazilian striker, who is currently in his homeland recovering from a thigh injury, has been strongly linked with a move away from the San Siro in January after falling out with coach Jose Mourinho because of a lack of discipline.

"Without a doubt, Adriano will return to us," said Moratti. "My hope is that he recovers as soon as possible from the muscular problem and that he returns to do what he has and can do with us."

Juve top Serie A popularity survey

Juventus are by far the most popular club in the Italian Serie A, a survey revealed yesterday.

The Bianconeri have traditionally been the most followed team in Italy and their involvement in the match-fixing scandal seems to have had no bad effect on their fan base.

According to a study carried out last summer by the Nielsen Institute Italia, Juve, with 10,040,000, have almost double the number of fans of their closest rivals Inter. Milan follow closely in third with nearly six million supporters ahead of Napoli and Roma.

Chievo have the least number of fans with a meagre 4,800.

Pele set for return in animation film

Pele is set to return to the field again, this time in an animation film to be made by an Indian company around the Brazilian football legend.

Compact Disc India Ltd have also acquired the rights to develop games and merchandising around the triple World Cup winner, according to a notice filed with the Bombay Stock Exchange.

"We'll be producing an animation film based on football with Pele as the central character," company chairman Suresh Kumar told Reuters.

"However, it is too early to talk about the script or the storyline."

Brazil's Prime Licensing, the company which holds the exclusive rights to the Pele brand, confirmed the deal.

Berlusconi gives up on title

Milan president Silvio Berlusconi has given up hope that his team could challenge for the scudetto.

On Sunday, the Rossoneri slipped nine points adrift of champoins and leaders Inter and are currently sharing third spot with Napoli.

"Has the scudetto slipped from our grasp? Well, nine points are a lot," Berlusconi told reporters. "In any case, we will try to trim the gap because that is essential for us, so we can return to fighting it out in Europe in the Champions League.

"The Champions League is our main objective and I think we are able to achieve that."

Man. City chief promises surprises

Manchester City executive chairman Garry Cook has promised there will be some surprises in the January transfer window, stressing that the world's richest club are looking for value for money and want to build a strong squad.

Bankrolled by the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, the club splashed out a British transfer record £32.5 million on Real Madrid's Robinho in August.

"Making any predictions would not only be unfair to the game and the people in it but also to the fans because we want to make sure their expectations are in place," he said.

"But I won't allow this football club to be used by anyone seeking a fortune.

"I'd rather just make sure we have got the right characters who can give the fans value for money."