Portillo: Spanish striker Javier Portillo will join newly-promoted Gimnastic Tarragona on a two-year deal from Real Madrid. Real did not reveal the fee involved but said that they would retain an option to buy back the 24-year-old at the end of each season for the duration of the deal and would qualify for compensation if the player was sold on to another club.

Solskjaer: Norway coach Aage Hareide has recalled Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, 33, to his squad for the prestige August 16 friendly against Brazil. Hareide included Solskjaer yesterday despite grumbling from United manager Alex Ferguson that his player, who has spent most of the past three seasons sidelined with injuries, should forget about playing in internationals.

Mellberg: Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg is to quit as Sweden skipper although he will carry on playing for his national team. "I have been thinking about this since after the World Cup and felt that with everything that is going on at Aston Villa it was time to let someone else take over," he told the paper. Sweden play their next match against Germany in a friendly in Gelsenkirchen tomorrow week.

Campbell: Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell had a medical at Premier League rivals Portsmouth yesterday with a view to joining the south coast club. The central defender, 32 next month, could be signed by Pompey manager Harry Redknapp as a free agent.

Borgetti: Mexico striker Jared Borgetti is set to join Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia after a bid for him was accepted by Bolton Wanderers at the weekend. Signed just before last season, Borgetti failed to win a regular first-team slot and the forward, who turns 33 next week, scored only seven goals in 32 appearances in all competitions.