France striker Loic Remy joined Newcastle United on a season-long loan from Queens Park Rangers last night.
Remy, who joined Rangers in January from Marseilles, was unable to save the London club from relegation but will get another chance to shine in the Premier league after making the move to the north-east.
“Remy signalled his intentions to the club earlier this summer of his desire to play in the top flight in a World Cup year, and following the recent addition of Charlie Austin to (our) ranks, a deal has now been agreed with Alan Pardew’s side,” QPR said .
Butland options
Stoke City boss Mark Hughes is mulling over whether to send England goalkeeper Jack Butland back out on loan or keep him at the Britannia Stadium.
The highly-rated 20-year-old joined Stoke from Birmingham in January but was loaned straight back to the Championship club for the remainder of last season.
Potters no.1 Asmir Begovic had been linked with a move to one of the Premier League’s big guns, but Liverpool opted for Simon Mignolet and interest in the Bosnian has subsided.
Hughes said: “Jack’s an outstanding keeper and it’s about making sure he develops. If there’s not the right opportunity then he won’t go out, he’ll stay with us.”
Fans crucial to Hearts survival bid
Hearts boss Gary Locke insists his club’s huge support can help his side beat their 15-point penalty and retain their place in the Scottish Premiership.
The Jambos kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone as the first opportunity to chip away at the punishment meted out for going into administration went by the wayside.
The match saw 3,500 fans from Edinburgh travel north to outnumber the home support.
Locke said: “The fans are worth everything to us. If we get that backing all season I’d be hoping the players can respond and give them the results they deserve.”
Gignac committed to Marseille
Marseille striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is adamant he will not be leaving the club despite speculation over his future. The France international is one of a host of strikers to have been linked with Newcastle this summer after scoring 18 goals last season.
The 27-year-old, a boyhood Marseille fan, achieved his dream move to the club in 2010 and told L’Equipe: “You think I would say that I’m going? You don’t know me well.
“I have never wanted to leave. The links with Newcastle and the rest, it is all rubbish.
“My mind is always on OM and I let Jean-Christophe (Cano, his agent), Vincent (Labrune, OM president) and Jose (Anigo, sporting director) know that.”
Milan’s Ljajic offer ‘inopportune’
Angry Fiorentina have slammed Milan for making a late and inopportune bid for their Serbian forward Adem Ljajic.
Fiorentina board member Paolo Panerai tweeted that Milan had “broken the rules” by making an approach to the 22-year-old who has one year of his contract to run.
The club then issued a statement saying that Panerai’s comments were his own opinion but added that Milan’s approach to Ljajic was “unacceptable, certainly late and definitely inopportune.”
Ljajic joined Fiorentina in 2010. He has not played for his country since coach Sinisa Mihajlovic dropped him for failing to sing the national anthem before a friendly last year.
Bold keeper
Goalkeeper Mauricio Viana played the last few minutes of a Chilean league game, even saving a last-minute penalty, unaware that he had suffered a perforated intestine, his club Santiago Wanderers said.
Viana was injured in the 78th minute of last weekend’s match against Audax Italiano, the club said. There was no obvious injury and the 22-year-old Brazilian born goalkeeper played on, saving a penalty taken by Cristian Canuhe in the 89th minute to earn his team a 0-0 draw.
However, afterwards he complained of severe pain in the dressing room and underwent emergency surgery after it was diagnosed as a perforated intestine.
The Wanderers said the operation had gone well and Viana was expected to recover in four weeks.
Rodgers surprised by Arsenal’s way
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has taken a swipe at Arsenal over their ongoing pursuit of unsettled striker Luis Suarez.
Rodgers says the London club was playing “a wee bit of a game” by bidding £40m plus £1 in the hope of activating a clause in the Uruguay international’s contract.
“I was surprised. I’ve got to say I’ve always associated Arsenal as a club with class and so there was a wee bit of a game there,” Rodgers said.
“For us, it’s about moving on and doing our own work. There will come a point where they understand our position. There is a market in football for players but from us the message is constant: we do not want to sell.”