Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini made six saves as Tottenham Hotspur were held to a goalless draw by San Jose Earthquakes in an exhibition game on Saturday.
Cudicini produced a strong performance in Tottenham's first tune-up before the start of the Premier League on August 14. The Italian, who missed a good portion of last season following a motorcycle accident, made three saves in the first half.
Tottenham managed just four shots on goal including three in the second half in front of a crowd of 10,712 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Real focus on Thiago Silva
Spanish giants Real Madrid have turned their attention towards signing Brazilian Thiago Silva as coach Jose Mourinho seeks a world-class defender, according to Marca.
However, it appears that their interest in signing his Brazilian team-mate Maicon from Mourinho's old club Inter has cooled because of the money being demanded by the Serie A outfit.
Inter would have lowered their price for Maicon from €35 to €30 million, according to the report. However, Real are not prepared to pay more than €28 million and now consider Silva a good alternative.
The 25-year-old Silva is under contract with Milan until 2013 and has a price tag of around €15 million.
Boca hoping to keep Riquelme
Boca Juniors coach Claudio Borghi hopes the club can put together a deal to bring Juan Roman Riquelme back to La Bombonera in time for next season.
Borghi, who took over at Boca in June, says negotiations are underway to re-sign Riquelme, who is currently out of contract after spending the last three years at the Buenos Aires-based club.
"The club directors are negotiating with him," the coach told Argentinian sports paper Ole from Australia, where the club are currently on a pre-season tour.
Riquelme has been linked with Everton and Tottenham in recent years, while there has been reported interest from West Ham and Brazilian club Flamengo this summer.
Hughton sweating over Taylor injury
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton admits he is concerned Steven Taylor could be sidelined for several weeks after the defender suffered a shoulder injury.
Taylor, who has been troubled by shoulder problems in the past, sustained his latest injury during Newcastle's 3-0 pre-season friendly victory at Carlisle on Saturday.
The former England Under-21 centre-back now faces a race against time to be fit in time for the start of the new Premier League season, which kicks off for Hughton's team at Manchester United on August 16.
"Obviously we are aware of Steven Taylor's shoulder problems in the past, but we will not know the extent of this one until we can assess it properly in two or three days," Hughton said.
Marseille target Gilardino swoop
Marseille are once again being linked with Alberto Gilardino amid reports that the Italy striker's future with Fiorentina is uncertain.
The Viola revealed at the weekend that Gilardino could be sold this summer if an acceptable offer was received.
"I cannot really say that Gila is not for sale," sporting director Pantaleo Corvino was quoted as saying.
"Of course we won't go around offering his services to other clubs. But really it is up to him. If he is happy in Florence then no problem, otherwise we will see..."
Corvino's statement looks to have alerted a number of clubs, most notably Marseille whose coach Didier Deschamps is a fan of the centre-forward's ability.
Parma keen to sign Giovinco
Parma have emerged as Bari's main rivals in the chase for Juventus playmaker Sebastian Giovinco, according to reports.
Bari stepped up their efforts to sign Giovinco in recent weeks after boss Giampiero Ventura appealed to the former Under-21 international to move south. However, reports yesterday suggested that Parma have made a significant step towards acquiring his signature.
The Tardini outfit are understood to have made Juventus a tempting offer for Giovinco.
Parma, who will be coached by the offensive-minded Pasquale Marino this season, have reportedly offered €3.5m for a 50 per cent stake in the 24-year-old attacking midfielder.
Pellegrini bemoans Real transfer policy
Former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini believes his chances of bringing success to the Santiago Bernabeu were undermined by president Florentino Perez's chaotic transfer policy.
Pellegrini, who has been replaced by Jose Mourinho at Real, agrees that he had some of the world's finest talent at his disposal last season but claims the squad was unbalanced.
"They sign the best players, but not the best players needed in a certain position," he told Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
"It's no good having an orchestra with the 10 best guitarists if I don't have a pianist - Real Madrid have the best guitarists, but if I ask them to play the piano they won't be able to do it so well."