Middlesbrough have signed Spanish goalkeeper Victor Valdes on a two-year contract from Manchester United, the newly promoted Premier League club said yesterday.
The former Barcelona keeper, who joined Belgium club Standard Liege on loan in January, moved to United in January 2015 when he was out of contract, as possible cover for compatriot David De Gea, but could make only two appearances.
“You can’t imagine how delighted I am because it’s not usual to bring players like him to recently promoted teams,” head coach Aitor Karanka said.
Alkmaar waiting for Tottenham offer
AZ Alkmaar have yet to receive an improved bid for forward Vincent Janssen from Tottenham, the Dutch side’s sporting director Max Huiberts has said after an initial offer was turned down.
Dutch media reported that the club received a bid of €14 million from Spurs last month but were holding out for €20 million to part with their striker.
“There is a lot of speculation and I read a lot of nonsense stories,” Huiberts said.
“We received one bid from Tottenham that we have not accepted. It is not often that a club agrees immediately with a first offer.”
Leicester City kick off in early game
Champions Leicester open the 2016-17 season, while Jose Mourinho has his wish of Friday night football with Manchester United, the Premier League announced.
The Foxes face Hull City at 13.30 on August 13, it was revealed when the televised fixtures were published yesterday.
United host Southampton on August 19 at 21.00, in the first regular Friday night fixture.
The Portuguese has long argued for the Premier League to make allowances for clubs in European competition, with Friday nights a possible answer.
However, United will be in European action on Thursdays this season in the Europa League, so Mourinho’s Friday appearances may be rare.
FIFA auditor
FIFA, which has been embroiled in a major corruption scandal, has appointed a senior Slovenian auditor to oversee spending, the global soccer body said.
It said Tomaz Vesel, head of Slovenia’s court of audit which supervises state accounts, would replace Domenico Scala as head of the committee which monitors finances.
Scala resigned in May, saying that a resolution passed by the FIFA Congress the day before had taken away the independence of its watchdog committees which are seen as crucial to cleaning up the scandal-ridden federation.
Tevez wage demands too high for WHam
West Ham United’s bid to re-sign Carlos Tevez stalled because of the striker’s salary demands, the Premier League side’s co-chairman David Sullivan has said.
The 32-year-old returned to his native Argentina with childhood club Boca Juniors in 2015 after nine successful seasons in Europe. He helped save West Ham from relegation during his one-year spell in 2006-07.
“We tried to get Tevez but he wanted £250,000 a week. In his last year at Juventus he was great. But 250 grand a week!” Sullivan told British media.
“He’ll probably stay where he is now but he doesn’t pay a lot of tax down there.”
Match-fixing probe
Seven people suspected of manipulating soccer results in at least two Brazilian state leagues have been arrested.
The match-fixing ring involved players, coaches, agents and presidents of clubs in the second and third divisions of the Sao Paulo state championship, said Kelly Cristina Sacchetto, one of the police officers leading the investigation dubbed Operation Game Over.
Those arrested this week in raids in four Brazilian states were believed to have worked with betting syndicates in Malaysia, China and Indonesia.
Atletico Madrid sign midfielder Jota
Spanish side Atletico Madrid have signed Portuguese attacking midfielder Diogo Jota from Primeira Liga club Pacos de Ferreira on a five-year deal.
The 19-year-old, who was under contract with Pacos until June 2020, was voted the best young player in the Portuguese top flight last season after scoring 12 goals to help the club based in the Porto district finish seventh in the standings.
“To be a part of such a big club makes me proud,” Jota said.
“It is a great club at all levels and I didn’t think twice about accepting this offer.
“I want to fight to establish myself in the club. It will be a season of learning. I hope to be in the plans of the coach.”
Atletico did not reveal any financial details of the deal but Spanish media estimated the transfer fee for the Portuguese under-21 international to be in the region of €7 million.