Football news

Slovenian internationals Armin Bacinovic and Josip Ilicic have signed contract extensions with Palermo, the club confirmed yesterday.

The midfield pair joined the Sicilian outfit last summer from Maribor and have both been rewarded for their solid campaign with a one-year contract extension.

A statement from the club read: “Armin Bacinovic and Josip Ilicic have signed a contract extension with Palermo until June 2016.”

Bacinovic and Ilicic combined for 10 goals and eight assists to help Palermo finish eighth in Serie A last season.

Wolves clinch O’Hara signing

Wolves have completed the permanent signing of midfielder Jamie O’Hara from Tottenham in a £5 million deal.

O’Hara has signed a five-year contract after enjoying a successful loan spell at Molineux during the second half of last season.

The 24-year-old scored three goals in 13 games including one against Blackburn on the final day of the season which helped keep Wolves in the Premier League.

An agreement was already in place for O’Hara to make the £5 million move to Wolves should the player and manager Mick McCarthy want that to happen.

Lyon confirm Puel exit

Lyon have confirmed that Claude Puel would no longer coach the club.

The 49-year-old has failed to deliver a trophy in his three years at the club since arriving from Lille. Puel has a year left on his contract and could earn up to four million euros in compensation.

The club and Puel failed to agree terms after a conciliation hearing organised by the French Professional League (LFP) last Wednesday.

“Lyon wishes to announce the departure of Claude Puel, who is no longer the head coach of the club as of today (Monday),” the club said in a brutally short statement.

Remi Garde, the current director of Lyon’s youth training centre, has been widely tipped to replace Puel.

Merkel makes Genoa loan switch

Highly-rated teenage German midfielder Alexander Merkel has signed for Serie A outfit Genoa on loan from champions Milan.

The 19-year-old Kazakhstan-born midfielder, who has appeared for Germany internationally up to Under-19 level and is adamant he wants to play for his adopted country and not Kazakhstan at senior level, has been at Milan for three years after he ended a five-year spell at Stuttgart.

Genoa, who finished 10th last season as city rivals Sampdoria were relegated, also look set to complete the signings of Guinean international midfielder Kevin Constant from rivals Chievo and French central defender Kevin Vinetot from Serie B outfit Crotone.

McLeish move stuns O’Leary

Former Aston Villa manager David O’Leary was astonished by the appointment of Alex McLeish to his old job.

The 52-year-old McLeish broke a footballing taboo by crossing the city of Birmingham, resigning from his job with relegated Blues before taking up the post at Villa soon after.

The move has been greeted with animosity on both sides of the city, and nobody was more surprised than O’Leary, who was in charge at Villa for three years from 2003.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I never thought anybody would cross the city like this.

“It’s a big, brave step. I hope it goes well because Villa is really a good club.”

Mihajlovic to stay with Fiorentina

Fiorentina insist coach Sinisa Mihajlovic will remain at the club next season despite speculation he will join Inter this summer.

Mihajlovic has been strongly linked with the Nerazzurri hotseat should Leonardo accept an offer to become Paris St Germain’s new sporting director.

However, Mihajlovic is under contract with the Viola for a further campaign and the Florence outfit have no intention of letting him go.

A statement from the Serie A club read: “Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic and Fiorentina want to reiterate that the professional rapport between them is not in question, just as it had been clarified a few days back by Mihajlovic.”

Sanchez deal almost done – Udinese

The transfer of Chile forward Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona is 80 per cent done, Udinese’s Spanish representative has claimed.

“Right now Barcelona just have to iron out a few details, but it’s practically done,” Quique Pina said.

“It’s 80 per cent done and the other 20 per cent is what’s to be ironed out.”

Pina revealed the fee will be around €45 million, although that is likely to include Barca’s Spain Under-21 forward Jeffren Suarez.

Sanchez was reported to be leaving Chile’s Copa America training camp to fly to Barcelona yesterday for a medical.