Football news

South Korean international Ji Dong-Won is to join English Premier League side Sunderland on a three-year deal, his club Chunnam Dragons announced yesterday.

The K-League side said the two teams had agreed in principle on the transfer and the forward was expected to sign a contract later this month after a medical.

Yonhap news agency quoted sources as saying the transfer fee was around 3.8 billion won ($3.5 million).

Ji, 20, will be the eighth South Korean to join the Premier League and the youngest so far. Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung and Lee Chung-Yong, of Bolton Wanderers, were the only Koreans still playing in England last season.

Roma close in on Bojan capture

Roma hope to complete the signing of Spanish striker Bojan Krkic from Barcelona in the next few days.

The Eternal City outfit have reached an agreement with Barcelona and with the 20-year-old, according to Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini.

He told Gazzetta dello Sport: “The negotiations are going well and we hope to conclude the deal soon. We reached an agreement with Barcelona and with the player last night.”

Krkic is set to pen a five-year contract with Roma who will be coached next season by former Barcelona B manager Luis Enrique.

Reyes staying with Atletico

Jose Antonio Reyes is to stay with Atletico Madrid after spurning the advances of Turkish club Galatasaray, the Primera Division club announced.

Galatasaray last week made an offer for Atletico trio Reyes, Diego Forlan and Tomas Ujfalusi, and on Monday completed the signing of Czech defender Ujfalusi.

However, winger Reyes will not be following in his former team-mate’s footsteps, with Atletico announcing on their website: “After a meeting the player (Reyes) had in Seville with his representative Mariano Aguilar and Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero, all parties have agreed to decline the offer from Galatasaray, so the player will form part of the Atletico Madrid first-team squad for next season.”

Garde replaces Puel at Lyon

Remi Garde has been named as Lyon’s new coach, succeeding Claude Puel.

The French club finally severed ties with Puel on Monday following a complex arbitration process and have wasted no further time in appointing his successor.

The six-time France international made 145 appearances in Les Gones’ midfield before moving on to Strasbourg and then Arsenal.

The 45-year-old has been in charge of Lyon’s youth academy, and was officially presented yesterday by club president Jean-Michel Aulas.

Moratti plays down Blanc reports

Inter president Massimo Moratti has denied reports that France coach Laurent Blanc will be the club’s next manager.

The Italian giants are looking for a new coach with Leonardo expected to leave the club this summer to accept a sporting director’s position at Paris St Germain.

Blanc has been strongly linked in recent days with the Nerazzurri hotseat. However, Moratti told the club’s official website, inter.it: “Besides the fact that Blanc coaches the French national team, hence we deal with the problems of being able to approach him, I believe he is enjoying that experience and wants to continue to do so.

“Hence, we have not contacted him and I don’t think it is the right time to do so.”

Gera attracting Italian interest

West Brom are facing competition from Italy in their bid to bring their former midfielder, Zoltan Gera, back to the Hawthorns, according to his representative.

The 32-year-old is a free agent after his contract ended at Fulham at the end of last season.

His agent, Vladan Filipovic, said: “I can’t say anything concrete about Zoltan Gera yet – but there is nothing to worry about regarding his future.

“Maybe this week will be decisive but his future will be decided, for sure, by the beginning of July. We know he will leave Fulham but it is conceivable he would like to stay in England.

“A lot of clubs are interested in signing him. There is interest as well from a Serie A team.”

Bastos agent upbeat over Juve move

The agent of Michel Bastos is optimistic that Juventus will reach an agreement with Lyon over the Brazilian’s transfer to the Serie A side.

Juventus have been monitoring Bastos’s progress for over a year but reports suggest that their interest has cooled since Antonio Conte took over as coach.

It has been claimed that the Turin giants are not prepared to meet Lyon’s €14m asking price for the player.

However, Emmanuel De Kerkove, Bastos’s agent, remains upbeat.

“Lyon and Juventus are both tough negotiators,” the agent was quoted as saying. “I’m optimistic though and I think something will be decided by the end of this week.”