Southampton have signed Ireland striker Shane Long from Hull City and Steaua Bucharest defender Florin Gardos.
Gardos, a centre-back capped 12 times by Romania, joined Long at the south-coast club as new Saints manager Ronald Koeman attempts to rebuild his squad after a number of high-profile departures. The pair signed four-year contracts after joining for undisclosed fees.
Long and Gardos could make their debuts in Southampton’s opening game of the new Premier League season against Liverpool on Sunday.
Torosidis wants scudetto success
Greece defender Vassilios Torosidis has set his sights on silverware with Roma after signing a new three-year deal this month.
The 29-year-old joined Roma in 2013 after several trophy-laden seasons with Olympiakos, but is yet to taste success in Italy.
“We’ve got a strong squad with a lot of top players,” he said.
“We all want to win the scudetto, but it will be a tough season with some big games. We need to be ready to fight on all fronts.
“This season we will be involved in three competitions. The players need to be ready. We all want to win something and our main goal is the scudetto.”
Botafogo collapsing
Botafogo coach Vagner Mancini said the Brazilian club, struggling to pay the players’ wages amid mounting debts, was collapsing.
The crisis took a new twist this week when the directors managed to pay some outstanding wages to most of the squad, except the six highest earners. Brazilian media have said that the players are owed three months’ wages and five to six months’ image rights.
Botafogo’s debts at the end of 2013 totalled $307 million and its accounts have been frozen by authorities. The club has already warned that it could be forced to pull out of the league.
“Botafogo has gone into collapse and cannot get out of the situation,” Mancini, who has not been paid for four months, said.
Zenit SP get Garcia
Zenit St Petersburg have signed Spanish midfielder Javi Garcia from Manchester City. The Spain international has agreed a five-year contract and cost Russia’s Zenit €15 million.
The 27-year-old started his career at Real Madrid but only made 18 league appearances for the European champions. He moved on to Osasuna and then Benfica, where he played alongside Axel Witsel, who also now plays for Zenit.
Garcia joined City in 2012.
He is the second major signing for last season’s Russian league runners-up. Defender Ezequiel Garay, who played for Argentina at this year’s World Cup in Brazil joined from Benfica on a five- year contract.
Marcos Rojo faces Sporting sanction
Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo is being hit with disciplinary action by the club amid talk of him being wanted by Manchester United.
Reports suggest United have made a bid of around £16 million for the 24-year-old Argentina international and that Rojo has refused to train with Sporting, handed in a transfer request and asked to be allowed to join the Red Devils.
Sporting Lisbon president Bruno de Carvalho has been quoted as saying that both Rojo and team-mate Islam Slimani are “subject to strong disciplinary measures” and will not play in the club’s Portuguese league opener against Academica to-morrow.
Tottenham sign defender Yedlin
Tottenham Hotspur have signed United States defender DeAndre Yedlin from Seattle Sounders, the MLS club.
Yedlin, 21, has signed a four-year contract with Spurs but will remain with the Sounders before moving to London for the start of the 2015-16 season.
Yedlin has played seven times for the United States and was a member of the squad which reached the last 16 at this year’s World Cup in Brazil under coach Juergen Klinsmann, a former Tottenham striker.
“I’m very excited to come to the Premier League and challenge myself against some of the best players in the world,” Yedlin said.
“I’ve talked to Juergen Klinsmann a lot about this move and he supports it.”
Greek midfielder Kone joins Udinese
Udinese have completed the transfer of Greece international midfielder Panagiotis Kone from relegated Bologna.
The 27-year-old was a key figure during his two-year stint at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara but has opted to prolong his career in Serie A with Udinese after Bologna dropped into the second tier back in May.
A statement published through Udinese’s official Twitter account yesterday said Kone had arrived at the Stadio Friuli on a permanent basis.
No financial or contractual details were disclosed by the two clubs involved.