Palermo have edged closer to sealing a loan move of Arsenal striker Joel Campbell.
Reports said Campbell had told Arsenal he wants to move to Palermo and the two clubs are now negotiating a deal.
Gazzetta.it said Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini was in London yesterday to discuss terms with the Gunners over a loan transfer for the Costa Rica international.
Campbell, 23, has struggled to break into the Arsenal first team and spent the second half of last season at Villarreal.
Filipe Luis returns to Atletico Madrid
Chelsea have sold defender Filipe Luis back to Atletico Madrid.
The 29-year-old Brazilian, a £16 million signing from Atletico last summer, returns to the Spanish capital after making only 26 appearances for the Blues.
Luis has signed a four-year-contract with Atletico for a re-ported fee of £11 million.
Of his 26 appearances for Chelsea, only nine of them were starts in the Premier League after he struggled to displace Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back.
Luis returns to Spain with Premier League and League Cup winners medals and scored once during his year at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.
Sako talks resume
West Brom have re-entered talks with Bakary Sako after the former Wolves winger lowered his wage demands.
The Baggies have a long-standing interest in the Mali international but a deal looked dead earlier in the summer.
Sako priced himself out of any move after he left Molineux at the end of last season with Albion baulking at his wage demands.
Even just two weeks ago a deal for the 27-year-old was improbable with the Baggies having no further contact with Sako’s camp.
Sako, who has also been linked with Leicester, scored 38 goals in 124 games for Wolves after moving from St Etienne in 2012.
Schalke reject Juve’s bid for Draxler
Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt says he has rejected a bid from Juventus for winger Julian Draxler.
Juve agreed personal terms with the 21-year-old Germany international over the weekend, but an agreement had yet to be struck with the Bundesliga club.
The Serie A champions presented their first offer late Monday, but it was deemed derisory by Heldt – so much so he no longer wants to listen to what the Turin club have to offer.
“I can confirm we received an offer from Juventus,” Heldt said.
“I looked at it and decided we would reject it. We informed Juventus that we are not open to any further talks. We don’t want them to contact our player either.
“That’s the end of it.”
Bayern relaxed over Guardiola deal
Bayern Munich intend to open talks with coach Pep Guardiola over extending his contract at some stage this year, according to their chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Guardiola’s current deal ex-pires at the end of the coming season and neither he nor the Bavarian club have been in any rush to agree new terms.
Rummenigge last week admitted it would not be a tragedy if Guardiola did not stay while BeIN Sports reported that an agreement was in place with Manchester City for Guardiola to take over there next summer.
“Pep and I will hold talks over his future this year,” Rummenigge said.
“That is our agreement.”
Barcelona and Bilbao face fines
Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and the Spanish football federation face fines over politically-motivated whistles and banners during last season’s King’s Cup final at the Nou Camp, the Spanish government said.
The national anthem was drowned out and there were anti-Spanish flags and chants from the crowd during the match won by Barca last May.
The clubs come from the separatist regions of Catalonia and the Basque Country and both had been warned that they could be punished if they did not control their supporters.
The state commission against violence is now set to fine Barca €66,000, Bilbao €18,000 and the Spanish federation, who organised the competition, €123,000.
Herrera sacked as Mexico coach
Miguel Herrera has been fired as Mexico coach just two days after guiding them to a record seventh Gold Cup crown following allegations that he punched a reporter.
The Mexican Football Federation last night confirmed the decision to sack Herrera after TV Azteca’s Christian Martinoli claimed Herrera hit him in the neck following a confrontation at Philadelphia airport on Monday.
Mexico beat Jamaica 3-1 in the Gold Cup final on Sunday.
“Violence has no place in society, family, and much less so in sport,” said Decio de Maria, president of the Mexican federation.
“Anyone who wants to use aggression and not the ideas and concepts based on freedom of expression cannot be a member of the Mexican Football Federation.”