Redknapp: Southampton midfielder Jamie Redknapp, who turns 32 this week, has decided to quit football. "Jamie's been forced to stop playing otherwise he could have ended up a cripple," Southampton manager Harry Redknapp was quoted as saying. "He was getting through games last season on pain-killing injections. It's been a hard decision but following medical advice he has had to put his long-term health first," Harry said of his son. Jamie, who won 17 England caps, previously played for Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth but his career was badly disrupted by a long-term knee injury.
Sagnol: Valencia have confirmed their interest in signing defender Willy Sagnol from Bayern Munich. The Spanish club are keen to sign a defender after losing Curro Torres to a long-term knee injury last month. France international Sagnol, who has a year left on his contract at Bayern, has attracted the interest of several European clubs in Barcelona, Milan and Real Madrid.
Primera Liga: Cadiz and Celta Vigo secured promotion to the Primera Liga last weekend, joining Alaves who were promoted the week before. All three sides finished on 76 points with Cadiz crowned second division champions due to a better head-to-head record. Celta finished second with Alaves coming third. Cadiz, who won 2-0 at local rivals Xerez, return to the top flight after an absence of 12 years, including nine seasons in the Spanish regional third division. Already promoted Alaves, who hit the headlines in 2001 when they reached the UEFA Cup final, lost 1-0 to Sporting Gijon on Saturday to finish third.
Park: PSV Eindhoven midfielder Park Ji-sung, 24, has reportedly agreed a four-year deal with Manchester United. The South Korean international has been expected to move to Old Trafford for some time, but the deal had stalled over a fee. PSV are determined to get as much as possible for Park, especially as they believe United will profit from his high profile in the Asian market. United were still allowed to talk with the player and reports in Holland say that he has now agreed on a four-year contract.
Brocchi: Fiorentina, with new coach Cesare Prandelli at the helm, have signed Christian Brocchi, 29, on loan from Milan. Brocchi has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Milan side for the last two seasons. The midfielder has initially joined on a season-long loan with the option to make it permanent.