Brazilian Ailton, once the top scorer in the German Bundesliga, has joined Chinese Super League (CSL) side Chongqing Lifan, Chinese media reported yesterday.
The striker, who turned 36 on Sunday, made Chongqing his 10th club in five years since his departure from Werder Bremen, where he scored 28 goals in the 2003-04 season and became the first foreigner to win the German Footballer of the Year award.
"I was a bit concerned about his physical condition, but the trial shows he is much better than I thought," the club's Dutch coach Arie Haan told the Chongqing Evening Post.
Ailton has played for German clubs Schalke, SV Hamburg and Duisburg since leaving Bremen and has also had spells in Turkey, Austria, Ukraine and back home in Brazil.
Bougherra staying with Rangers
Rangers manager Walter Smith insisted yesterday the Scottish side would not be selling Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra.
Bordeaux were reported to have made a move for the Algerian, who made a £2.5 million switch to Ibrox from Charlton last summer.
But Smith said there has been no approach to the club for Bougherra, who has three years remaining on his contract.
"Despite reports to the contrary there have been no bids for Madjid," said Smith.
"We have not been contacted by Bordeaux in regards to Madjid and that's the end of the story as far as we are concerned."
Danish footballer struck by lightning
A Danish footballer from league leaders FC Nordsjaelland was in a coma yesterday after being struck by lightning during a match in Copenhagen.
Jonathan Richter, a 24-year-old midfielder, was struck during a non-league match against FC Hvidovre on Monday and remains in a coma, FC Nordsjaelland spokesman Christian Wolny said.
"He is on a respirator and has been cooled down to increase his chances. When the doctors think it is the right time they will increase his temperature to normal body temperature and see if they can wake him up," Wolny told Reuters.
Real's Javi Garcia joins Benfica
Portuguese side Benfica have signed Spanish midfielder Francisco Javi Garcia Fernandez from Real Madrid, the Lisbon club said yesterday.
Benfica are paying a transfer fee of €7 million for the 22-year-old, according to Portugal's football transfer market authority, the CVUM.
The player emerged from the youth academy at Real Madrid, playing in the Spanish club's second team Castilla.
He moved to Osasuna in 2007 but returned to the Bernabeu under a buy-back option last year.
Tevez not worth £25 million - Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson has hit back at Carlos Tevez, saying the Argentine striker wasn't worth the £25 million that rivals Manchester City paid for him, reports said yesterday.
"We made contact with Carlos. We sent him texts and spoke to him when he was in Argentina," Ferguson was quoted as saying.
"Our chief executive, David Gill, made an offer to (agent) Kia Joorabchian and we spoke to Tevez before we played Inter (in March) and told him we had spoken to Kia, but we never heard back."
Ferguson also made clear he felt Tevez was not worth what City manager Mark Hughes paid. "In my opinion, I don't think he was worth £25 million," he said.
Moratti confident about Eto'o deal
Inter president Massimo Moratti is confident they can reach an agreement with Samuel Eto'o to take him to the San Siro.
The Cameroon striker has been offered to Inter by Barcelona in a swap deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the Swede eager to move to the Nou Camp.
Eto'o's agent Jose Maria Mesalles has travelled to Milan for talks with Inter officials and a five-year deal is believed to be on the table.
Moratti is optimistic the deal will go through. "I have no certainty but I'm confident," Moratti told the Italian media.
Juve chief keen to offload players
Juventus president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli is devoting his energies to selling players rather than buying them.
The Bianconeri have been very active in the transfer market this summer, spending £48m on new talent but they are also looking to generate income from transfers.
"I can confirm that, for now, we are thinking about selling, then we will make subsequent decisions," Cobolli Gigli said.
"Now we have to balance the books."
Juventus had reportedly agreed a £7m deal to sell Christian Poulsen to Turkish side Fenerbahce, but the player's wife rejected the move. Reports suggest Fulham have also been offered the Denmark international.