Primera Division strugglers Malaga have agreed to sign experienced midfielder Enzo Maresca.
Malaga announced on their website they had agreed a deal with the Italian that will tie him to the club until the 2011/12 campaign, with the option of a further season.
The 30-year-old Maresca has been training with former club Fiorentina after rescinding his contract with Olympiakos in August.
Maresca is set to undergo his medical with Malaga today.
“I’m coming here with high hopes and the intention to contribute and help the team have a good season,” Maresca said.
Wilkins dismisses talk of Roman row
Ray Wilkins has denied that a falling-out with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was behind his shock departure from Stamford Bridge last month.
Speaking for the first time about his departure, Wilkins said a heated discussion with Abramovich following the club’s Champions League exit to Inter last season was not behind his removal.
“I don’t think I fell out with him at all,” Wilkins told Sky Sports.
“There wasn’t so much a row, there was a discussion. I think everybody was immediately after the game a bit pent up and we’d been knocked out of the Champions League by Inter, who over two games deservedly beat us.”
Wilkins added that the reasons for his sacking as assistant to manager Carlo Ancelotti had not been made clear.
Neuville hangs up his boots
Former Germany striker Oliver Neuville has decided to retire from football at the age of 37, after second division side Arminia Bielefeld terminated his contract.
“It’s definitively over. I’ve been thinking about it for a while already but that isn’t how I hoped it would happen. I hoped to play for longer,” Neuville told the website of German daily Bild.
Neuville, who scored 10 goals in 69 international games, joined Bielefeld last summer after a six-year stint at Borussia Moenchen-gladbach.
The Swiss-born striker represented Germany at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was a member of the squad that finished runners-up to Spain at Euro 2008.
Ferdinand ‘will be okay for Monday’
Alex Ferguson is optimistic Rio Ferdinand will be fit for Manchester United’s top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal on Monday.
Ferdinand went off five minutes into the second half of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Valencia after experiencing a tight hamstring.
“Rio has a tight hamstring,” Ferguson said.
“He felt it at half-time. He wanted to try it but it still felt tight. We weren’t prepared to take a chance. There was no point because we had Chris Smalling to come on.
“He has six days and I am sure he will be okay for Monday.”
Tevez targets crucial first trophy
Carlos Tevez is convinced one trophy will lead to many more for Manchester City.
The Europa League would appear to represent their best bet, having secured a place in the last 32 with a match to spare.
But City also have the FA Cup to aim for, as well as the Premier League given they are only three points adrift of new leaders Arsenal.
Tevez feels once that first trophy is in the cabinet it will pave the way for many more.
“We need to keep fighting in order to win a title, just like we have been doing,” Tevez told club website www.mcfc.co.uk.
“That could then turn into many more trophies.”
Sissoko poised to leave Juventus
Juventus are prepared to sell Momo Sissoko in the January transfer window to raise funds for the purchase of a striker, according to reports in Italy.
The Mali midfielder has not played regularly under Luigi Del Neri and unlike other players, notably Fabio Grosso, he wants to leave. Sissoko is reportedly attracting strong interest from German clubs Wolfsburg and Schalke.
Juventus hope to net between €6m and €8m for the 25-year-old who joined them from Liverpool in January 2008.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juve general director Beppe Marotta is keen to spend the money generated from Sissoko’s transfer to sign Maxi Lopez or Alessandro Matri.
Pardew favourite for Newcastle job
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley yesterday continued his efforts to land a new manager under a veil of secrecy.
Alan Pardew remained the hot favourite to replace the sacked Chris Hughton as discussions, which began in earnest on Tuesday, resumed with a view to an appointment by the end of the week.
Support for Pardew increased when it emerged that Martin Jol’s resignation from his job at Ajax was purely coincidental with the Dutchman also being linked with former club Hamburg.
The former Reading, West Ham, Charlton and Southampton boss was being quoted as a 1/4 to land the job by Ladbrokes yesterday with Alan Curbishley a distant second at 7/1 and former Chelsea number two Ray Wilkins the big mover at 8/1.