ABIDAL SET FOR MONACO

Outgoing Barcelona defender Eric Abidal is set to seal a return to Monaco within a week, according to his agent David Ventidelli.

The full-back, who will be a free agent at the end of June due to Barca having decided not to renew the Frenchman's deal, is being pursued by three Ligue 1 clubs - Olympique Lyonnais, Montpellier and Claudio Ranieri's side.

His representative revealed that the 33-year-old is likely to be given a short-term offer to due to his age but that a return to the club he left in 2002 could be wrapped up withing seven days.

Ventidelli told Fichajes: "[Monaco, Lyon and Montpellier] are interested in Abidal. There's interest from other leagues too, but Eric's preference is to return to France for family reasons. Monaco are his number one choice.

"[The Monaco offer] is a relatively short contract because Eric is 33 years old. Despite the health problems he's had, he is in good shape. The contract duration will be short but there could be options afforded to the

player once we've completed negotiations.

"Negotiations with Monaco will be settled one way or another by next week as Eric has other proposals. We must be respectful to other clubs."

Abidal made his name as a world class defender at Lyon before moving to Camp Nou in 2007 and his agent accepted that a return to the Stade de Gerland

"Of course, because Eric Abidal is Lyon," he added. "His international career started through playing at Lyon.

"He has a great relationship with the club. There are talks with Lyon and his relationship with the club means there's a chance, but we're concentrating on Monaco at the moment as it's his first choice."

Ventidelli also dropped a major hint that incoming Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola was eyeing a move from Abidal but that the France international would prefer to play football back in his homeland.

"There are some clubs in Germany [that want to sign him]," he teased. "There's a close friend and coach who knows Eric well but, again, his preference is to return to France."

BERNES: NO PSG DEAL FOR LAURENT BLANC

Laurent Blanc's agent has denied reports the former France defender has been appointed as Paris Saint-Germain coach.
Sports network beIN Sport had earlier claimed an agreement had been reached between the former France and Bordeaux coach and PSG, with Blanc to take over at the Parc des Princes on a two-year deal. That seemed to pave the way for last season's title-winning coach Carlo Ancelotti to succeed Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.

However, Blanc's agent Jean-Pierre Bernes told radio station RMC that nothing has as yet been finalized with negotiations still ongoing. While Bernes expects Blanc to be installed at PSG, he said talks are not yet concluded and many details have yet to be ironed out - which contradicts much of the talk in the French media.
Reports had stated that Bernes had met with PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo where the deal was agreed, with the former Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United defender expected to sign a contract early next week.
A short statement posted this afternoon on the website of beIN Sport, a network of sports channels jointly owned and operated by PSG owners Qatari Sports Investments, read: "An agreement was reached today between Paris Saint-Germain and Laurent Blanc for him to become the new coach of the capital club.
"An agreement between the former coach of the France team and PSG was reached for two years. It is planned that he will sign the contract next week."

If and when Blanc is appointed, it would bring to an end long-time speculation about the identity of the next PSG coach with the likes of Mourinho, Rafael Benitez, Fabio Capello and Andre Villas-Boas - among others - linked with the job. Blanc enjoyed a stellar playing career both domestically and internationally before being appointed Bordeaux boss in 2007.
He led Les Girondins to second place in Ligue 1 in his first season before going one better the following campaign as they were crowned champions as well as winning the Coupe de la Ligue. Blanc was then confirmed as France coach in July 2010 ahead of the shambolic World Cup in South Africa, with Bordeaux receiving compensation from the French Football Federation.
He inherited a team that had been riven by in-fighting and divisions but managed to lead them to Euro 2012, where they reached the quarter-finals only to lose to Spain. Blanc stepped down after

ANZHI SIGN DENISOV

Igor Denisov has completed a move from Zenit St Petersburg to Anzhi Makhachkala after over a decade with his former club.

The 29-year-old, who is the captain of the Russia national team, is a brilliant addition to Anzhi's side, according to general director Ayvaz Kaziakhmedov.

"We are certainly very excited about this signing," he told the club's official website.

"We believe our club has signed a very high quality addition to the team in Igor [Denisov]."

Denisov, meanwhile, called Anzhi, "the most dynamic club" to play for.

The midfielder has made 37 appearances for Russia since his debut in 2008.

He won the Uefa Cup with Zenit in the same year, as well as three Russia Premier League titles between 2007 and 2012.

However, Denisov's time at Zenit has been fraught in recent times, having led a rebellion because of the wages given to new signing Hulk last year which also reportedly led to training ground bust-ups.

LEVERKUSEN SIGN DONATI

Bayer Leverkusen have signed Italy Under-21 international Giulio Donati from Inter, having failed to become a regular at the Nerazzurri.

The 23-year-old has had one-year loan spells with Lecce, Padova and Grosseto over the past three seasons, and he spoke of his delight at the move, which will see him at the club until June 2017.

"I am happy that the deal has been completed," he told the club's official website.

"Bayer are a big team in Germany and also have a big reputation in Italy. I am really looking forward to the Bundesliga and it will be a huge challenge to play in the Champions League with Leverkusen.

"I will give my all to help B04 achieve their goals."

Leverkusen general manager Wolfgang Holzhauser also spoke about the move for the youngster, saying he is exactly the kind of player the club are trying to sign.

"With Giulio Donati we have a young, aspiring player who fits perfectly into the profile of Bayer Leverkusen," Holzhauser said.

"He was a mainstay of the Italy team at the Under-21 European Championship in Israel, and we are confident he will fit in at right back very well."

Finally, sporting director Rudi Voller also had his say on the purchase of Donati.

"He is a player with great potential, and is a regular at under-21 level," he said.

"He has played lots in Serie B and impressed us a lot in the under-21 tournament. He will bring us lots of joy in the future."

Bayer recently sold Spain U-21 full-back Dani Carvajal to Real Madrid for a €6.5 million deal.

BENITEZ: WE WILL KEEP CAVANI

Napoli

coach Rafa Benitez says he is determined to hold on to Edinson Cavani amid continued speculation about the star striker's future.

Cavani, 26, is on Confederations Cup duty with Uruguay and has already stated he will not decide his future until after the tournament, with top European clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City vying for the attacker's signature.

However, Benitez remains optimistic about keeping Cavani at the club having spoken to him already.

"Everybody talks about him because he's very strong and he's an important player. We're happy he is with us for now and I hope he can remain here," Benitez said at a press conference.

"I've talked with him, we talked by texts."

Cavani has a deal with Napoli until June 2017, but can leave the Serie A outfit if his €63 million release clause in his contract is triggered.

Meanwhile, it is Benitez's second stint in Italy having had a brief spell at Inter as Jose Mourinho's successor in 2010, but it was a largely unhappy time for the Spaniard and he was sacked six months into his reign at San Siro.

Nevertheless, the 53-year-old insists he has learned from his time at the Nerazzurri.

"We learn from our mistakes, we know what we did wrong and what we can improve," he continued.

"Napoli are a different team compared to Inter. The project is different, there is a willingness to grow as a club and that was enough for me to accept the offer."

Benitez also shared his thoughts about coming to Naples and the strength of the team he has at his disposal.

He added: "The first sensation is that it is very hot here. I'm happy, I have seen the city and the fans and I know the board.

"I talked with players who played against Napoli and they told me very good things about them. It's a strong team, who want to grow up and I hope to help them do that in the future."

UPDATED DONE DEALS FOR ALL PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS - 21ST JUNE, 2013

Arsenal
In: None
Out: Andrey Arshavin, Samir Bihmoutine, Reice Charles-Cook, Denilson, Sead Hajrovic, Conor Henderson, Jernade Meade, Nigel Oldfield Spence-Neita, Joshua Rees, Philip Roberts, James Shea, Sebastien Squillaci, Sanchez Watt (All released), Craig Eastmond (Colchester, free)

Aston Villa
In: Aleksandr Tonev (Lech Poznan, undisc), Jores Okobe (FC Nordsjaelland, £4m), Leandro Bacuna (Groningen, undisc), Niklas Helenius (Aalborg, undisc)
Out: Calum Barrett, Joshua Barton, Courtney Cameron, Daniel Devine, Richard Dunne, Eric Lichaj, Andy Marshall (All released)

Cardiff
In: None
Out: None

Chelsea
In: None
Out: Amin Affane, Yossi Benayoun, Abdul Deen-Conteh, Paulo Ferreira, Hilario, Florent Malouda, Archange Nkumu, Ross Turnbull (All released)

Crystal Palace
In: None
Out: None

Everton
In: None
Out: Johan Hammar, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Sam Kelly, Jan Mucha (All released), Phil Neville (retired)
  Fulham
In: Maarten Stekelenburg (Roma, £4m), Fernando Amorebieta (Athletic Bilbao, free), Derek Boateng (Dnipro, free)
Out: Chris Baird, Simon Davies, Mahamadou Diarra, Thomas Donegan, Corey Gameiro, Georgios Karagkounis, James Musa, Richard Peniket, Mladen Petric, Mark Schwarzer, Alex Smith, Csaba Somogyi (All released)

Hull
In: George Boyd (Peterborough, free), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan, free)
Out: Andy Dawson (Scunthorpe, free), Danny East (Portsmouth, free), Sonny Bradley (Portsmouth, free)

Liverpool:
In: Kolo Toure (Manchester City, free)
Out: Danny Wilson, Tyrell Belford, Jamie Stephens (All released), Jamie Carragher (retired), Andy Carroll (West Ham, £15m)

Manchester City
In: Jesus Navas (Sevilla, £14.19m), Fernandinho (Shakthar Donetsk, £22m)
Out: Wayne Bridge (Reading, free), Filippo Mancini (Released), Ryan McGivern (Hibernian, free), Roque Santa Cruz (Released), Kolo Toure (Liverpool, free)

Manchester United
In: Guillermo Varela (Penarol, undisc)
Out: Reece Brown, John Cofie, Michele Fornasier, Luke Giverin, Luke Hendrie, Luke McCullough, Gyliano Van Velzen, Freddie Veseli (All released), Paul Scholes (Retired)

Newcastle
In: None
Out: Steve Harper, Yven Moyo, Danny Simpson (All released)

Norwich City
In: Javi Garrido (Lazio, undisc.), Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Sporting Lisbon, undisc)
Out: Marc Tierney (Bolton, free), Chris Martin (Derby, free), Tom Adeyemi, Lee Camp, Olumide Durojaiye, George Francomb, Simeon Jackson, Ramil Sheriff, Korey Smith, Elliott Ward (All released)

Southampton
In: Dejan Lovren (Lyon, undisc.)
Out: Frazer Richardson, Danny Butterfield, Dan Seabourne, Ryan Dickson, Ben Reeves, Sam Hoskins, Tommy Forecast, Alberto Seidi (All released)

Stoke
In: None
Out: Michael Clarkson, Rory Delap, Matthew Gledhill, Jadan Hall, Matthew Lund, Andrew Musungu, Carlo Nash, Jermaine Pennant, George Rigg, Mamady Sidibe, Matthew Upson, Dean Whitehead (All released), Michael Owen (Retired)

Sunderland
In: Valentin Roberge (Maritimo, free), Cabral (Basel, free), Modibo Diakite (Lazio, free), Duncan Whatmore (Altrincham, undisc.), David Moberg Karlsson (Gothenburg, £1.7m)
Out: Titus Bramble, Anthony Callaghan, Wade Joyce, Matt Kilgallon, Ryan Noble, Adam Reed, Ben Wilson (All released)

Swansea
In: Jose Canas
Out: Mark Gower (Charlton, freeP

Tottenham
In: None
Out: Jack Barthram, David Bentley, John Bostock, William Gallas, Jack Munns, Jake Nicholson (All released)

West Brom
In: None
Out: Marc-Antoine Fortune, Zoltan Gera, Gonzalo Jara, Romaine Sawyers, Jerome Thomas (All released)

West Ham
In: Adrian (Real Betis, free), Razvan Rat (Shakthar Donetsk, free), Andy Carroll (Liverpool, £15m)
Out: Carlton Cole, Jake Larkins, Gary O'Neil, Jack Powell, Jami Rafati, Eoin Wearen (All released)

ALBERTO EXCITED ABOUT LIVERPOOL MOVE

Sevilla midfielder Luis Alberto will use the success of Spaniards in the Premier League to motivate him as he prepares to join his compatriots in England with a move to Liverpool.
The 20-year-old is expected to fly into Merseyside for a medical and discuss personal terms later this afternoon after the two clubs settled on a fee, believed to be in the region of £6million initially with potential add-ons.
A deal is not expected to be completed before the weekend but Alberto will almost certainly be Brendan Rodgers' third signing - after Kolo Toure and Iago Aspas - of the summer by next week.
"I'm very much looking forward to it," Alberto said.

"I'm going to a club like Liverpool, a new culture, a new language, I have to adapt quickly but I'm really looking forward to this big step.
"There are many Spaniards in England and they are doing quite well.
"Seeing all of them succeeding there motivates me even more."
Alberto, who came though the ranks at Sevilla, spent last season on loan at Barcelona B - scoring 11 times in the second division - but the Catalans did not take up their option to sign him permanently.
He admits, however, it will be a wrench to leave his hometown club.
"I've always said that this is the club where I grew up, it's my home," he told Spanish newspaper Diario de Sevilla.
"I owe a lot to Sevilla, although I'm leaving a little hurt because I haven't had the chance to show what I can do in the Primera Division.
"It seems like I was going to return to Sevilla, but the Liverpool thing came up and it's a very important step.
"I've had to take a difficult and important decision and I hope I've

TIOTE IN COURT OVER FALSE LICENCE

The Newcastle United midfielder Cheick Tiote has appeared in court charged with using a false Belgian driving licence and four other offences.
The Ivory Coast star, who turned 27 today, is accused of using the allegedly false document as a form of ID "to establish personal information" about himself in December.

Among the other charges he faces is committing fraud by using the allegedly false document to get a UK licence and driving his car without a licence or insurance.
No pleas were entered.
Mr Tiote was granted unconditional bail and will appear at Newcastle Crown Court in July.

CHELSEA SIGN BIG ADDIDAS DEAL

Chelsea and adidas have agreed a new 10-year contract in an agreement the Blues describe as "the biggest deal to date".
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is larger than the reported £18million a season received from Samsung for shirt sponsorship.
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said: "We are delighted to extend our partnership until 2023 after a highly successful first seven seasons.

"Both organisations share the same ethos and ambition and the new deal reaffirms adidas' belief in the club's status in world football."
The 2012 Champions League winners and 2013 Europa League champions will bid for further success this term under returning manager Jose Mourinho.
The Blues added in a statement: "This is the biggest deal to date Chelsea FC has signed with a partner and will see the sports brand continue to be the official sponsor and sportswear supplier for the club over the next 10 years.
"The partnership, which began in 2006, has continued to grow during a period of continued success for Chelsea.
"The Blues have won major honours both domestically and in Europe including being the first London club to win the UEFA Champions League. We have also won the Premier League, four FA Cups, the League Cup and last season, the UEFA Europa League."