Southampton striker Rickie Lambert is expected to undergo a medical at Liverpool today after the two clubs agreed a fee for the England international.
Press Association Sport understands the Reds will pay an initial £4 million for the player with the possibility of further add-ons, although reports of the deal costing £9 million are wide of the mark.
Lambert was due to travel to Merseyside after England’s friendly with Peru at Wembley last night and could be confirmed a Liverpool player as early as Monday.
Costa Rica’s Saborio out of World Cup
Costa Rica’s World Cup hopes suffered a major blow on Thursday when striker Alvaro Saborio was ruled out of next month’s finals with a broken bone in his foot.
Saborio suffered the injury in a closed-door training session on Thursday morning and coach Jorge Luis Pinto later told a news conference his first-choice forward would miss the entire tournament.
Costa Rica face England, Italy and Uruguay in Group D in Brazil.
“After hearing the doctor’s opinion and talking with the player we have to face up to the reality – Alvaro will not be at the World Cup,” said Pinto.
Sheringham joins West Ham as coach
Former England striker Teddy Sheringham has taken up a part-time role as an attacking coach at West Ham, the Premier League club announced yesterday.
The 48-year-old spent three seasons at the club as a player during a career that saw him win the Champions League, the FA Cup and three league titles with Manchester United and finish as top scorer in the first season of the Premier League in 1992-93.
“I’m very excited. Sam (manager Sam Allardyce) phoned me a week or so ago and asked me if I fancied it,” he said.
“It was far too good to resist really. Being a West Ham boy and coming from the area, it fits nicely in all that I’m about.”
I’m quitting Arsenal, Sagna tells reporters
Bacary Sagna will be leaving Arsenal “for sure”, the defender has told reporters in France.
The France international full-back’s contract situation became a long-running saga during last season, with boss Arsene Wenger asked about it on a weekly basis.
The 31-year-old has yet to accept the offer put before him and now appears to have said he will not be doing.
He has been widely linked with a move to Manchester City and, although he did not commit to saying where he would be next season, it will not be Arsenal.
“It’s no longer a secret, I will leave Arsenal for sure,” he told L’Equipe.
“They (Arsenal) tried to make an effort but the discussions have not gone as I wished.”
Celtic confirm Keane interest
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell has confirmed the club are interested in appointing Roy Keane (picture) as their new boss.
But the Hoops chief says the Republic of Ireland assistant manager faces competition from as many as nine other rivals to be named Neil Lennon’s successor.
Lawwell has confirmed the 42-year-old former Manchester United skipper is on a short list of candidates the Celtic board is now examining.
“Clearly we want to do it as soon as we possibly can but these things you can’t put a time on,” he said.
“We have got a number of excellent candidates, Roy is one of them and we’ll see what happens in the next week or two.”
Candreva not leaving Lazio says Lotito
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has brushed aside reports linking midfielder Antonio Candreva with a move away from Rome this summer.
Reports in Italy claim the 27-year-old Candreva is a reported target of Juventus, Napoli and French champions Paris St Germain.
However, Lotito has issued a hands-off warning to interested parties claiming Candreva will stay put.
“Candreva to Napoli is news to me,” Lotito told Corriere dello Sport. “It’s a rumour that I want to categorically deny.
“I have never spoken to Napoli club president Aurelio De Laurentiis regarding the possibility of Candreva wearing the Napoli colours next season.
“Candreva will not leave Lazio.”
Immobile set to join Dortmund
Ciro Immobile is on the verge of completing a move from Torino and Juventus to join Borussia Dortmund, reports in Italy said yesterday.
Reports said that Juventus have agreed to initially buy back Torino’s 50 per cent share in the striker, before then selling him on to Dortmund for a fee believed to be in the region of €19.5m.
The 24-year-old, who last season finished as the Serie A top scorer with 22 goals, is reported to have agreed to a five-year contract worth €2m a season with the Germans.