TRANSFER NEWS:BLACKBURN ROVERS signed goalkeeper Paul Robinson from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of €4.4 million yesterday.
The 28-year-old, who has 41 England caps but has fallen out of favour with club and country, becomes manager Paul Ince's first signing since he took over from Mark Hughes a month ago. Robinson agreed a five-year contract with Blackburn, the club said.
Long-serving keeper Brad Friedel looks set to complete his €2.5 million move to Aston Villa after Rovers gave permission for the Martin O'Neill manager club to speak to the American
Spurs had already signed PSV Eindhoven's Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes as their first-choice for next season.
Robinson spent four seasons at Tottenham after joining the north London club from Leeds United for €1.25 million pounds, making 175 appearances and scoring once with a 65-metre free-kick against Watford in a league game two seasons ago.
He was England's number one at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but lost his place to Scott Carson in the final Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia last year and was also demoted at club level. David James has since taken over as England goalkeeper.
Robinson made a number of errors after completely missing his kick from a back pass, which ended up in his net, in a 2-0 defeat by Croatia in England's October 2006 qualifier in Zagreb.
He was restored to the squad by new manager Fabio Capello for the friendly with France in Paris in March but was then left out of a 30-man party for the friendlies against the United States and Trinidad Tobago in May.
Robinson played in Tottenham's League Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley before finishing the season as his club's first-choice goalkeeper.
Sulley Muntari's impending €15 million move to Inter Milan will give Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp the funds he needs to mount bids to bring Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nicky Shorey to Fratton Park.
Redknapp's squad is beginning to look like an England B line-up as he already has David James, Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe before recently adding striker Peter Crouch, his €14 million recruit from Liverpool.
Now Ghanaian midfielder Muntari is set to clinch a switch to Jose Mourinho's Inter after saying his goodbyes to Pompey team-mates on Thursday and having a medical in Italy yesterday.
The fee - representing a profit of around €6.3 million on the figure paid to Udinese last summer - is expected to be ploughed straight back into Redknapp's rebuilding plans, minus an agreed percentage which Muntari's former club Udinese are due as part of a clause in the transfer last summer.
And it means the Pompey manager has sufficient funds again to make a realistic move for Chelsea winger Wright-Phillips who, along with Crouch, has been his prime target all summer.
Redknapp is hopeful Chelsea will take €11.5 million for the former Manchester City player they signed for more than twice that figure two years ago - or at least let him out on a year-long loan.
And that could leave enough cash left over to swoop for relegated Reading's left-back Shorey, who is keen to return to the Premier League spotlight, although Reading manager Steve Coppell is likely to want at least €6.3 million and soon.
His desire to bring in Wright-Phillips and Shorey is why Muntari's dream move back to Italy has been sanctioned by Portsmouth, who have a wealth of midfield talent, even though Redknapp rates the Ghana ace as world-class.
He said: "Sulley is a terrific player but, like everyone, you have to look at it if you get a very good offer.
"I built the side which got us into the Premier League a few years ago from the money Peter Crouch brought in when I sold him first time around to Aston Villa.
"Sometimes an offer is too good to turn down, no matter who the player is. I like Sulley but that's how it is."
Muntari said: "Harry has developed my game and has become like a father to me but when a club like Inter come calling you have to listen.
"I love him and I love the Portsmouth fans but I missed an opportunity once to join a big club a few years ago (he was on trial at Manchester United but terms could not be agreed) and I don't want to miss it again."
Redknapp, who will offer young Gambian free agent OJ Krumah a contract after a successful trial at Fratton Park, has plenty of cover for Muntari in midfield with Lassana Diarra, Niko Kranjcar, Papa Bouba Diop and Pedro Mendes, whom he has vowed not to sell despite offers.
But former Fulham and Tottenham player Sean Davis, who started the first 14 Premier League matches last season until a foot injury and was omitted from the FA Cup final squad despite regaining fitness in March, could be sold to raise more funds.
Meanwhile, Everton captain Phil Neville has said he wants to finish his career at Goodison Park after signing a new four-year deal with the Merseyside club.
The 31-year-old club captain said Everton was "the only club that I want to play for" and revealed he was "proud" he was extending his stay until 2012.
Dwight Yorke is likely to miss the rest of Sunderland's pre-season campaign after suffering a suspected fractured cheekbone in a collision with Vitoria Setubal's goalkeeper Nikola Milojevic during Wednesday's 1-1 draw in Portugal.
