Juventus's coach, Claudio Ranieri, has admitted an interest in signing Liverpool's out-of-favour midfielder Momo Sissoko. "I had the pleasure to coach him at Valencia and I like him a lot," the former Chelsea manager said yesterday. "I know him very well. He is a great player."
Juve are third in Serie A despite the disappointing performances of their summer signings Tiago Mendes and Sergio Almirón, and Ranieri is eager to bring in reinforcements. Sissoko, 23 this month, has appeared nine times in the Premier League this season, 12 times in all competitions. Internazionale had also expressed an interest in the former Auxerre player but have turned their attentions elsewhere, to Atlético Madrid's Maniche.
Liverpool are to spend £4m on Zenit St Petersburg's centre-back Martin Skrtel, a Slovakian with 15 caps. The player was due to have a medical yesterday after the chief executive, Rick Parry, went to Russia at the weekend to conclude negotiations.
Gareth Southgate has revealed that a swifter than anticipated recovery from a stressed pubic bone should enable Mido to play 45 minutes for Middlesbrough's reserves against Wigan tonight. The manager added that he had made his peace with George Boateng. The Dutchman, Boro's captain, had a training-ground row with Southgate last week after he failed to make the bench for the New Year's Day defeat by Everton and he was also omitted from the side who beat Bristol City in the FA Cup but Southgate said: "George is back in the fold and that's the way we want it. As far as I'm concerned he's a Boro player. He's been disappointed lately but now we have to move forward, work together and move on."
Roy Keane is poised to add another former Manchester United team-mate to his staff. Sunderland's manager is expected to complete the signing of Quinton Fortune, who has been training with the club for the past month. Released by Bolton last summer, the 30-year-old has been troubled by injury but appears to have convinced Keane that he is worth taking a chance on.
Dickson Etuhu, Sunderland's Nigeria midfielder, has been re-bailed by police investigating an alleged altercation at the Mercy nightclub in Norwich, which resulted in a man losing a tooth.
Reading have agreed to sign the Czech Republic midfielder Marek Matejovsky from Mlada Boleslav for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old is expected to complete the move today on a 3½-year deal.
Wigan Athletic's manager, Steve Bruce, is set to complete his first signing, with a £1m deal for the Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios, 23, close to completion.
Portsmouth have bought Danijel Subotic, an 18-year-old Swiss striker, from Basel on a 3½-year contract after he impressed on trial.
