England striker Jermain Defoe will join MLS side Toronto FC at the end of February, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur confirmed yesterday.
The 31-year-old, who first joined Tottenham from West Ham in 2004 and returned in 2009 after a short spell at Port-smouth, will continue to be available for the London club until February 28.
“Everybody knows how much this club means to me and I will play my heart out for the team and the fans until my last kick for the club,” Defoe said.
“I have had a fantastic time here and the fans have always been amazing to me.”
Osvaldo stays
Club-record signing Dani Osvaldo will not be leaving Southampton any time soon, manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted yesterday.
In the summer, the 27-year-old Italy international swapped Roma for St Mary’s in a deal that could be worth up to £14.6m.
The signing was quite the coup by Southampton but one that has yet to bear fruit, with Osvaldo managing just three goals in 13 appearances.
Inter and Fiorentina are apparently interested in taking him back to Serie A, but Pochettino said: “He is very happy here. He is also expecting the birth of his son and is expecting his son to grow up in England.
“I am very sorry about all these rumours happening right now, but they are just not true.”
Keeper Adler to miss league resumption
Hamburg and German international goalkeeper Rene Adler faces a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury and will miss the resumption of the Bundesliga after the winter break.
Adler, battling for one of the reserve keeper slots in the German World Cup squad behind Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer, is being treated in Hamburg.
“He can expect to return to the team training in three to four weeks,” Hamburg, currently training in Abu Dhabi, said in a statement.
Jaroslav Drobny will deputise for Adler during his absence when the northern club returns to action on January 26, struggling down in 14th place.
Vutov joins Udinese
Teenaged midfielder Antonio Vutov has left Levski Sofia to join Serie A club Udinese on a four-year contract.
Vutov became the youngest player to turn out for Levski when he made his debut at the age of 15 years, 307 days in a league match against city rivals Lokomotiv in April 2012.
Since then the 17-year-old, considered as one of the most talented young players in Bulgaria, scored three goals in 34 appearances and was a regular member of Bulgarian youth teams.
Udinese are 13th in Serie A with 20 points from 18 matches.
Ronaldinho snubs Besiktas offer
Brazilian striker Ronaldinho has signed a new contract with Atletico Mineiro after turning down a move to Turkish side Besiktas.
“He’s re-signed!” Atletico’s president Alexandre Kalil announced on Twitter.
Besiktas said at the end of last month that they were keen to sign the 33-year-old Ronaldinho but admitted they needed extra sponsorship to meet his wage demands.
The former Barcelona and Milan midfielder joined Atletico in June 2012 and won the Copa Libertadores with them a year later, the first time he or they had lifted South America’s biggest club competition.
Neill confident of finding new club
Australia defender Lucas Neill remains confident of signing a short-term deal with a new club as the veteran bids to get some playing time under his belt to secure selection for this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Socceroos captain, who turns 36 in March, has been without a club since ending a brief stint with Japanese side Omiya Ardija in November.
“My goal is to secure a six-month or year contract in a team where I know I am going to play regularly,” Neill said.
“The (Australia) manager says he wants players who are fit and in form in strong leagues.”
Cardiff City ask after striker Diouf
Cardiff City have made an approach to sign Hanover striker Mame Biram Diouf.
New Bluebirds’ boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked with the former Manchester United player at Molde, and is keen to secure his services once again.
Norway’s Magnus Wolff Eikrem has already joined Cardiff, while a deal for his compatriot Mats Moller Daehli is expected to be completed before today’s meeting with West Ham United.
And Solskjaer is now also looking to bring in Diouf after a Hanover spokesperson con-firmed the Bundesliga club had received an approach from Cardiff.
Cardiff are believed to be prepared to pay around £2.5m to sign the 26-year-old.