Jermain Defoe intends to start next season with Tottenham despite the possibility of being Martin Jol's fourth-choice striker. The completion of Darren Bent's transfer from Charlton for a club record £16.5 million has provoked fears that Spurs were ready to sell Defoe but the player feels reassured he still has a future at White Hart Lane.
In Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Defoe and Bent, Jol believes he has a quartet of strikers with the ability to propel Tottenham into the Premiership's top four and, with a Uefa Cup campaign to consider, he knows the club could play around 60 games next season.
Bent (23), yesterday agreed a four-year contract with the option of another two years and it is understood his wages will be about £45,000 a week. The England striker, who cost £15.5 million, the remaining £1 million dependent on appearances, said: "Tottenham have a lot of young English players and it's a young squad, it's a squad going forward and that's the direction I wanted to take. They seem to be getting better and better every season and I'd love to be part of that."
Ronaldinho is prepared to discuss a move to Milan, according to uncorroborated reports in Italy. If true, it would wreck English clubs' attempts to recruit his team-mate Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona. The Brazilian's relationship with Eto'o has been strained for months and it had been speculated that Thierry Henry's arrival at Camp Nou would spell the end for the Cameroonian, with Arsenal and Liverpool monitoring developments.
Henry and Eto'o are, however, close friends and the Frenchman's arrival might squeeze Ronaldinho. With the Brazilian filming an advertisement in Milan, there are rumours that a meeting will be held with Milan's president, Silvio Berlusconi.
Sam Allardyce returned from Barcelona yesterday having spoken to Edmilson but if the 30-year-old Brazilian international fails to sign for Newcastle United it will be because of the size of his wages as much as his recent knee surgery.
Newcastle's manager, however, appears to have been more successful in recruiting a number two: Steve Round, formerly of Middlesbrough and now a coach under Steve McClaren with England. Round has not yet joined Newcastle but Allardyce confirmed they were in talks. Round, it is believed, would keep his coaching role with the FA, which is not a full-time post.
Nigel Pearson, Glenn Roeder's number two, is expected to stay at St James' Park, meaning there will be two first-team coaches.
With Allardyce also closing in on former key backroom members at Bolton, Mike Forde and Mark Taylor, Newcastle's staff is coming together before a training camp in Austria next week.
But Edmilson will not be joining them there. The defender underwent his third knee operation in three years in Barcelona last week and Allardyce was in Catalonia to assess for himself a possible comeback date. A fee would be required for Edmilson as he has one year left on his contract. Though Newcastle - who yesterday completed the signing of Paris St Germain defender David Rozenhal for £2.9 million - are accustomed to big salaries, satisfying Edmilson's demands would stretch them.
Manchester United have obtained a work permit for the Brazilian teenager Anderson. United's first application was turned down because a non-EU player qualifies only if he has featured in 75 per cent of his country's internationals over the past two years. But Alex Ferguson appealed to the Home Office, arguing that Anderson was a special talent who would improve the Premiership after his £19m transfer from Porto.
Jim Boyce's 12-year tenure as president of the Irish Football Association came to a dramatic end last night. He is being replaced by Raymond Kennedy following the IFA Council's annual meeting in Belfast. The vote ended in tie and with no casting vote Boyce discussed the matter with Kennedy and stood down.
Kennedy, the former vice-president, takes over with immediate effect. Boyce's duties with Fifa and Uefa will not be affected as he has been made an honorary life president of the association.
Goal glut in Copa
Argentina overpowered the United States 4-1 in a glut of goals at the Copa America yesterday.
Favourites Argentina survived an early fright against inexperienced opponents, going behind to an Eddie Johnson penalty.
Hernan Crespo equalised two minutes later but Argentina were then frustrated by a packed US defence for nearly an hour.
Crespo finally put Argentina ahead in the 64th minute, running on to Lionel Messi's pass to place his shot beyond Kasey Keller.
Substitutes Pablo Aimar and Carlos Tevez added two more late in the game.
In the group's other game, Paraguay, inspired by a Roque Santa Cruz hat-trick, thumped Colombia 5-0.
