In a shock move that has left competitors floundering like a defender trying to tackle Trevor Brooking in 1981, West Ham United have announced the surprise signing of ex-Middlesbrough midfielder Gary O'Neill.
The Hammers moved quickly to snap up O'Neill after the Beckenham-born 30-year-old was released by his former club, east London outfit West Ham...?! Wait a minute... For indeed, joking aside, in a move that has puzzled many, amused the rest, the Hammers have signed a player they seemed to have let go.
O'Neill was one of the players released from his contract at the end of last season and a number of clubs including Crystal Palace and Brighton were rumoured to be keen to offer terms to a player who made 17 league starts last campaign, coming on as a substitute for a further 7.
O'Neill himself has suggested that his re-signing was always a likely outcome and it was only a matter of arranging meetings after holidays and agreeing the small print, but this wasn't the expectation taken from comments from the club itself and there's no doubt many supporters are puzzled - if not surprised - by this decision.
The fact remains though that Sam Allardyce has always been keen on the player, turning to O'Neill on a number of occasions when others options seemed better, and we can only assume the re-negotiated terms suit West Ham better while the O'Neill himself probably appreciated the confidence put in him by the Manager and the coaching staff. Rumours that ex-Hammer Jimmy Greaves was seen outside the club shop hoping for some re-negotiations of his own are almost certainly unlikely to be true though.
Elsewhere, in an odd development, it seems that some missing paperwork is puzzling the legal parties looking after West Ham's proposed move to Stratford's Olympic Stadium.
With suggestions that the Boleyn will become a retail park and some luxury flats, developers of the site are keen to examine the freehold details to the Boleyn Ground which are owned by the club following negotiations with the Roman Catholic Church who formerly owned the Boleyn House and other land on the site dating back to 1869.
Title registers filed with the Land Registry, detail the legalise between the club and the Church covering agreements going back to 1912. However, neither the Land Registry or the Diocese of Brentwood, which now has jurisdiction over the area, can locate the documents.
The Hammers have had a long and amicable relationship with the church in that the club has either rented or bought land from various dioceses over the years. In 1959 an agreement was signed between the club and the then Archbishop of Westminster, outlining guarantees on the passage of water and sewer pipes and gas and electricity cables to the Church-owned properties, while in 2000, the club paid to build a new home for the adjacent St Edward's school in exchange for land to redevelop the Centenary Stand
The ground and surrounding are has long suffered from stories of a murky past, with unsubstantiated rumours that the former Boleyn house that once stood on the grounds was not only a home of Anne Boleyn but was, in fact, haunted - bringing about the oft-quoted stories today about the club's notoriously bad luck.
Nobody is suggesting that the failure to find this paperwork is likely to impact on West Ham's move to the Stratford site but it does cast doubts over certain aspects of who owns what and where around the Hammers' current home.
I wonder if anyone has thought to look in Gary O'Neill's sock drawer?
West Ham,West Bromand Everton set for striker snub
Algerian forward Nabil Ghilas is set to snub a move to the Premier League and join Portuguese champions Porto.
The 23-year-old Moreirense man has been linked with West Ham, West Brom and Everton after netting 13 goals last season.
But he admits he is keen to join Porto and hints that the move could be completed soon.
“I am much closer to Porto than any other team,” he said on Sky Sports.
“I would like to play in the Champions League and that makes a big difference.
“To go to England could have been perfect but when the biggest club in the league come to you, you take notice,
“Nothing is done yet but we are not far from agreeing everything with them.”
Barcelona's new signing Neymar, 21, wants 27-year-old Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to join him at the Nou Camp.
Metro
Tottenham look set to sign two of Europe's highest-rated young players. Spurs want 17-year-old Dinamo Zagreb defender Tin Jedvaj and team-mate Alen Halilovic, a midfielder, who is also 17, although both players would remain with the Croatian side on loan deals until they turn 18.
Daily Mirror
Brazilian side Internacional have rejected claims Southampton have moved ahead of Tottenham in the pursuit of Leandro Damiao, insisting they have received no offers for the 23-year-old striker.
Metro
Manchester United are clear to sign Argentina centre-back Ezequiel Garay, 26, after his club, Benfica, signed his replacement, Arsenal de Sarandi defender Lisandro Lopez, 23.
Daily Mirror
Former England goalkeeper Scott Carson, 27, will leave Turkish team Bursaspor to sign for Championship side Wigan in an £800,000 deal.
Daily Mirror
Midfielder Bakary Sako, 25, has pleaded with Wolves to let him hold talks with Fulham over a potential move to Craven Cottage.
Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle
Former Tottenham boss Ossie Ardiles says 25-year-old Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, a transfer target for Arsenal, has the talent to have the same impact in the Premier League as Robin van Persie.
Sky Sports
Chelsea defender David Luiz has backed Brazil international team-mate Paulinho to be a hit in the Premier League, saying "his game fits perfectly". Midfielder Paulinho, 24, is close to a £17m move from Corinthians to Tottenham.
Sky Sports
After a miserable 12 months for Argentine club Independiente, their fans threw chairs and a desk at the club president at a meeting intended to answer their concerns.
Metro
SUNDERLAND boss Paolo Di Canio is close to a deal for Gino Peruzzi.
The Velez Sarsfield right-back, 21, can also play midfield and has four Argentina caps.
PAVEL POGREBNYAK is not ruling out quitting relegated Reading.
The Russian, 29, said: “I don’t know what will happen when the window opens.”
SWANSEA have beaten West Brom to land Gregor Zabret from NK Domzale.
The Slovenian whizkid keeper, 17, said: “I got some offers but I chose Swansea.”
GON aint difficult to understand though is it, we made him an offer, he didnt think it was right, so we parted company, he's gone on holiday thought about it and signed the contract.
Gary Neville has told Wayne Rooney not to quit Manchester United.
Blackpool have accepted Cardiff's £8m offer for Tom Ince.
Pavel Pogrebnyak has not ruled out quitting relegated Reading.
Peter Crouch has no idea if he has a future at Stoke under Mark Hughes.
Swansea have beaten West Brom to land Gregor Zabret from NK Domzale.
David Moyes officially starts at Manchester United today and he has been given the green light to sign Benfica's Ezequiel Garay in a £17m swoop.
Danny Murphy will end his unhappy spell at Blackburn this week.
Spurs are closing in on a £15m deal for Dinamo Zagreb's Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj.
Dwight Gayle will join Crystal Palace this week for £6m.
Tottenham want Dinamo Zagreb teenager Alen Halilovic.
Wigan are looking at Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing while goalkeeper Scott Carson is in talks over a move from Bursaspor.
Danny Murphy is close to a deal to quit Blackburn.
Chelsea have offered £42.5m to Napoli for Edinson Cavani and want Manchester City target Bruma.
Swansea are keen on Club America striker Christian Benitez.
Cardiff may bid £10m for Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo.
Hull are keen on free agent Richard Dunne.
Roman Abramovich will not think the job is done unless Chelsea win the Champions League and Premier League again.
Blackpool have accepted an £8m bid from Cardiff for Tom Ince.
Arsenal fear being blown out of the water in their bids to sign Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuain.
Stoke are aiming to hijack Hull's bid to sign Burnley striker Charlie Austin.
Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff have been set the challenge by Chelsea of developing world class players from the club's academy.
Darren Bent remains keen on a move to Newcastle although he will seek reassurances that Alan Pardew is staying.
Blackpool have accepted an offer from Cardiff for Tom Ince thought to be worth more than £8m.
Dinamo Zagreb's Alen Halilovic. Welcome, readers, to July, a month beloved of transfer rumourmongers opening as it does the possibility of actual transfers being factually completed and closing as it does the possibility of being distracted by genuine proper football of any significance. And so it is with a vice-like grip and a viciously-swinging fist that, in the manner of the most irritating of schoolboys, we grab the sporting world by the virtual collar and proclaim: "Pinch, punch, first of the month – and no returns."
No returns, that is, unless you're David Moyes, who returns to work but in a new office this morning, when his Manchester United reign will commence with a ceremonial swoop for Benfica's £17m-rated centre-back Ezequiel Garay, with the Portuguese club to replace him with the significantly cheaper Arsenal de Sarandi defender Lisandro Ezequiel López. If the move comes to fruition, it is believed it would be the first all-Ezequiel double-transfer shuffle in the history of football.
It's also Manuel Pellegrini's first day at Manchester City, and he will spend it coming to terms with the idea that his move for Benfica's wantaway Paraguayan Oscar Cardozo could be derailed by a megabucks bid from unlikely foes Cardiff, who are considered more likely than the aspiring champions to meet the Portuguese club's £15m asking price. And talking of disappointing beginnings to honeymoon periods, Darren Bent has returned home from his actual, real honeymoon to discover that it's Newcastle or Fulham for him.
Chelsea have bid £42.7m for Edinson Cavani, a move which has left his current club, Napoli, "puzzled", according to the Mail, being as it is a full £11.2m short of the figure they are known to be willing to sell for. The Blues are however thought likely to offer a more realistic sum for Sporting Lisbon winger Armindo Tue Na Bangna, better known as Bruma.
Peter Crouch has admitted that he is unsure of his Stoke City future. "With my history, you just don't know," the much-travelled striker said. "I've never really had a lot of contact with Mark Hughes." He has, though, had a lot of contact with Kasabian, having partied with the not-good-enough-for-Glasto rockers backstage at Hyde Park Calling on Saturday. His club have meanwhile been linked with a new striker, in the shape of Burnley's £5m-rated former bricklayer Charlie Austin, also a target for Hull City.
Tottenham are close to a £17m deal for Dinamo Zagreb's Croatian whizz-kids Alen Halilovic and Tin Jedvaj, which represents £500,000 for each full year that each boy-wonder has been alive. The move will disappoint Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Roma, who all wanted to snap up one or other of them. According to media reports, Halilovic is "the new Luka Modric", while Jedvaj will remain in Zagreb until he's able to get a work permit, which could take a year or more depending on how good he actually is. And talking of 17-year-old eastern European starlets, Swansea have swooped ahead of West Brom to sign NK Domzale's (it's in Slovenia) Gregor Zabret. At the end of a busy weekend for Michael Laudrup, he is also apparently ready to spend £8.5m on Twente's Belgian winger Nacer Chadli, last linked with Aston Villa (and that was only yesterday), and an unknown sum on Club América's former Birmingham striker Christian Benítez.
Even 17-year-olds are a bit over the hill for some, with Chelsea and Arsenal targeting West Brom's 16-year-old striker Isaiah Brown, say the Star. Which is funny, as the Mail say that Chelsea and Arsenal are "keen on West Bromwich Albion midfielder Issy Brown, 16". Whether the lad plays in midfield or up front, the Mirror thinks he's going to Chelsea, which is bad news for an Arsenal transfer department still reeling from the failure of a £6m bid for Lyon's Clément Grenier and petrified, says the Star, that key targets Wayne Rooney and Gonzalo Higuaín will end up elsewhere.
Sunderland want Wigan's £8m-rated midfielder Callum McManaman, who meets their top three requirements of being young, talented, and with a track record of nobbling Newcastle players (Wigan will replace him, we're told, with Liverpool's Jay Spearing). The Black Cats are also set to sign the 21-year-old Velez Sarsfield right-back Gino Peruzzi, who despite being Argentinian is the cousin of the former Italy goalkeeper and long-time Di Canio team-mate Angelo Peruzzi.
Talking of footballers' footballing relatives, Blackpool have accepted Cardiff's "massive" offer for Tom Ince but, according to the player's father and manager, he might snub the Premier League in order to stay at the popular seaside resort town. "He loves it here and has told me he's in no rush to leave," revealed Paul (speaking on the phone from the family home, where he was having to shout over the unmistakeable sound of suitcases being hurriedly filled and loudly clattered down stairs).
;
