Sunderland are expected to sign the West Bromwich Albion and Ireland defender Paul McShane next week, and the 21-year-old may be followed to Wearside by Wigan's Leighton Baines and Southampton's Chris Baird as the manager, Roy Keane, seeks to construct a new defence for the Premiership.
It is also believed Sunderland have expressed an interest in Manchester United's Kieron Richardson.
Bellamy for West Ham
West Ham were yesterday concluding a £9-million deal for Craig Bellamy. The striker's departure from Liverpool became inevitable after the arrival this week of Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid for £26.5 million and the signing of Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin. Rafael Benitez has sanctioned the sale, and West Ham will be Bellamy's seventh club.
Marseille have confirmed the permanent signing of Liverpool's Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan with them, and have taken Boudewijn Zenden on a free after he was released at Anfield.
Chelsea eye Drenthe
Chelsea have made an offer of £4.7 million for the Holland under-21 international Royston Drenthe.
The FA Cup holders' proposition is to purchase Drenthe from Feyenoord and loan him back to the Dutch club for a year before taking him to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2008.
Feyenoord's technical director, Peter Bosz, has confirmed a large number of European clubs are looking to acquire the versatile left-sided 20-year-old, widely regarded as the player of the tournament in last month's European Under-21 Championship.
Drenthe's agent, Andre Wasiman, was in London last week.
Leeds up for sale
Leeds United look ever more likely to be bought back by the administrator and resold to the highest bidder after a court hearing to consider the club's future was set yesterday for September 3rd.
There are three interested parties besides the current owners, who are led by the club's chairman, Ken Bates, with all understood to be ready to trump the latter's most recent 8p-in-the-pound offer.
A resale would satisfy British revenue and customs authorities, whose challenge to the Bates takeover was lodged on Tuesday, forcing the courts' involvement.
In brief . . .
Bolton Wanderers striker Nicolas Anelkahas admitted he is tempted by the possibility of a move to Valencia. "The interest from the Spaniards is touching," he told L'Équipe. . . Mark Schwarzerhas rejected Middlesbrough's offer of a new contract . . . Birmingham City made their seventh signing of the summer with the Lille central defender Rafael Schmitzjoining on a season's loan . . . Derby County have agreed a £3-million deal with Sheffield United for Claude Davis, subject to the Jamaican centre-back passing a medical and receiving a work permit . . . Fulham's defender Zat Knighthas signed a two-year contract extension.