Football news

Manchester United look set to bolster their ranks with the signing of defender Alexander Buttner from Vitesse Arnhem.

According to reports in Holland, the 23-year-old left-back was in England on Sunday to undergo a medical with United ahead of penning a five-year contract.

Neither United or Vitesse have made any official announcement regarding Buttner.

Buttner has been regularly linked with a move to England this summer and had looked poised to join Southampton with Vitesse announcing in July they had agreed a deal with the Premier League newcomers, but that switch fell through.

Roma’s Krkic not joining Genoa

Enrico Preziosi, the Genoa president, has revealed that Roma want to part with their striker Bojan Krkic.

Genoa were among those clubs who tried to sign the unsettled Spaniard but yesterday Preziosi told reporters that Roma won’t sell their striker to Genoa.

“He won’t be joining us, but Roma do want to transfer him,” Preziosi said.

Krkic, 21, joined Roma from Barcelona in 2011. He scored seven goals in 33 games last season but seems to have fallen behind in the pecking order with the arrival of Zdenek Zeman.

Giroud pleads for patience

Olivier Giroud has urged Arsenal fans to show patience as he looks to step out from Robin van Persie’s shadow. Arsene Wenger accepted the Gunners lacked a cutting edge in attack following the goalless draw with Sunderland at Emirates Stadium.

Giroud, though, could have made the difference late on but when the big chance came the French striker rushed his shot and fired wide.

“It was a game ball, but the coach told me that I had not to worry about it,” said Giroud.

“This could have been the dream start, but in Montpellier, I did not score on my first game, so I am not worried.

“Here, I will have plenty of chances and I will score.”

Tottenham want Defoe to stay

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas doesn’t want to sell Jermain Defoe before the closure of the transfer window.

Defoe has been linked with a move away from White Hart Lane this summer after finding his starts limited last season.

The 29-year-old is the only senior striker on Spurs’ books at present and he scored in their opening-day defeat at Newcastle.

“He always has this killer instinct,” said Villas-Boas.

“I have nothing to do with anything that happened in the past. He is our striker, is playing well, is full of confidence and has been deadly in front of goal.”

Huth’s ordeal

Robert Huth has revealed how he was trapped on a trans-Atlantic flight when the full effects of his meningitis began to take hold.

The 28-year-old completed a remarkable recovery when he played all 90 minutes of Stoke’s 1-1 draw at Reading on Saturday.

Huth believes he contracted the disease during the Potters’ pre-season tour of the US but only really began to suffer on the flight home at the beginning of the month.

“On the flight going home, I could feel it getting worse and worse – and 35,000ft up in the sky is not a great place to be when your health is going down-hill rapidly,” he said.

“And when I had a big head-ache and became sensitive to light, the club booked me into hospital for tests. It was tough but I never gave up hope of being 100 per cent fit.”

Captain Gerrard refusing to panic

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says there is no reason to panic after their surprise opening-day defeat at West Brom.

The Reds had Daniel Agger sent off as they lost 3-0 at The Hawthorns but Gerrard believes it is essential everyone looks beyond the result.

“The feeling after was one of total shock with the result. It was never a 3-0 game,” he said.

“I fancied us to go there, dominate and win but things didn’t work out that way. In football you can be left feeling hard done by.

“It’s not the start we wanted but it’s no time for panic.

“It’s only the first game and it was one bad day at the office.”

Swansea agree fee for Celtic’s Ki

Scottish champions Celtic agreed a deal to sell the South Korea midfielder yesterday.

Ki is being chased by several clubs but Premier League outfit Swansea appear to have won the race after chairman Huw Jenkins confirmed they have agreed a fee of around £6 million.

The 23-year-old former FC Seoul star has not returned to Celtic since playing for South Korea at the London Olympics and was absent again yesterday as Neil Lennon’s squad flew out for the first leg of their Champions League play-off clash with Helsingborg in Sweden.