Liverpool sign Diomede

Liverpool have completed the £3 million signing of French World Cup winger Bernard Diomede.

The 26-year-old passed a medical yesterday at Anfield and signed a three-year contract before jetting back to France.

"I am very happy to join a club with a French coach who I respect and know well," said Diomede. "I had been told that Liverpool wasn't the nicest of places to move to, but I have seen the city and have found the people and the place very nice and I know I will settle down well there."

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright has announced that he is to quit professional football. Wright, who helped Burnley gain promotion to the First Division last season, said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

"It's a really hard decision because I've got all the people in Burnley, the manager is a close friend and I've made really good friends up there."

Leeds yesterday resigned themselves to being without David Batty for the first half of next season. The England midfielder will spend at least six months on the sidelines as he battles to overcome a potentially career-threatening Achilles injury.

Middlesbrough yesterday insisted midfielder Paul Gascoigne will not be loaned out to any team this summer. The former England midfielder had been linked with a summer move to a number of clubs, including Finnish side FC Jokerit. Sheffield Wednesday chairman Howard Culley has admitted the lack of funds at Hillsborough is making it difficult to attract a new manager. Former Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear rejected the job last week after his demands for cash to strengthen the squad could not be met.

It's now likely that the current managerial team of Peter Shreeves and Chris Waddle will continue in the roles they were allocated following the dismissal of Danny Wilson last season.

Barnsley chairman John Dennis has vowed to fight to keep manager Dave Bassett. Bassett, 55, just failed to take the Oakwell club into the Premiership after a Wembley play-off defeat against Ipswich.

And with Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester on the look-out for new managers, Dennis is anxious to hold onto Bassett.

Brazil could withdraw from the 2006 World Cup race just minutes before the vote takes place in Zurich on July 6th. Rumours are rife that the South Americans are set to pull out of the contest to host the tournament after next and transfer their allegiance to South Africa.

In return, Brazil expect to gain support from the African congress to host the 2010 event.

Northern Ireland international Neil Lennon could soon be following in the footsteps of his former boss Martin O'Neill at Celtic. The midfielder admitted to being "desperately disappointed" when O'Neill decided to leave Filbert Street and join the Glasgow giants.

O'Neill is believed to be keen to bring Lennon up to Scotland along with Leicester team-mates Matt Elliott and Stan Collymore.