NORWICH SIGN DUTCH INTERNATIONAL

Norwich City have confirmed the signing of Dutch international midfielder Leroy Fer from FC Twente on a four-year deal.

The 23-year-old, who is Chris Hughton's sixth summer signing, scored 21 goals in 71 appearances for FC Twente after starting his career with Feyenoord.

Fer, who has two full caps, captained Holland at Under-17 and Under-19 levels and he was a key part of their European Under-21 Championship team which made it to the semi-finals.
He joins Javier Garrido, Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, Nathan Redmond, Martin Olsson and Carlo Nash in boosting Hughton's options for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season.
Hughton said: "We are really pleased to have acquired the signature of a player with the qualities that Leroy has.
"He's a very versatile Dutch international and at 23 he has that pleasing balance of having acquired experience playing over 100 games in the Dutch League - but still having plenty of time ahead of him to continue his development as a player here with us at Norwich City."

PSV SIGN CHELSEA DEFENDER AND TWO OTHER PLAYERS

PSV have completed the signings of Jeffrey Bruma, Stijn Schaars and Santiago Arias.
Bruma, 21, joins on a four-year deal from Chelsea, while Schaars, 29, and Arias, 21, have signed three and four-year-deals respectively after arriving from Sporting Lisbon.
The trio continue the Eindhoven club's rebuilding process following the signing of AZ midfielder Adam Maher on the back of losing Dries Mertens, Jeremain Lens and Erik Pieters earlier this summer.

Bruma, who is thought to have cost in the region of €3 million, has impressed in his last two seasons spent on loan at Bundesliga outfit Hamburg, and PSV will be hoping he can further his growing reputation in Eindhoven.
"[Bruma is] a defender that we would have wanted sooner," PSV technical director Marcel Brands told the club's official website.
"Unfortunately, it took a little longer than we had hoped for, but we are pleased that he is here."
Schaars, who played for Vitesse and AZ earlier in his career, returns to the Netherlands after a two-year spell in Portugal as part of a double €1.6 million deal with Colombia right-back Arias.
"It was a difficult operation with Sporting, but we can add a chunk of experience in the team with him," Brands added about the midfielder.
"From the first day we approached Stijn, he could not wait to start."

SAVICEVIC MAKES MATCH FIXING CLAIM

Dejan Savicevic claims members of Red Star Belgrade's 1991 European Cup-winning side were offered €254,000 by football coaches to lose their final against Olympique de Marseille.

The Serbian club went on to triumph 5-3 on penalties in Bari 22 years ago, but, according to Savicevic, only after several players had been approached by unnamed figures in their hotel rooms on the eve of the clash.

"It's not a secret," he said in a telephone interview with Associated Press. "I have been saying this for a while and I have never denied it: 500,000 marks was offered to us.

"We refused it because it is not in our character. Everyone knows it ... ask [goalkeeper Stevan] Stojanovic, or [midfielder] Robert Prosinecki."

The former midfielder, who is now head of Montenegro's football association, went on to lift the Champions League for a second time with AC Milan in 1994.

Marseille, meanwhile, won the Champions League in its inaugural season in 1992-93, but had their Ligue 1 title stripped from them amid a match-fixing scandal.

KLOPP STUNNED BY DORTMUND'S FITNESS

Jurgen Klopp has revealed he has been left stunned by the fitness levels of his Borussia Dortmund squad in pre-season.

The Signal Iduna Park club ended last season on a disappointing note with defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, but Klopp's squad have refused to rest on their laurels during their summer break.

Klopp has taken his side to Austria for a pre-season training camp, where he and the club's fitness coaches have been able to assess the physical condition of the players before embarking on a gruelling schedule, but the former Mainz boss admits he has been taken aback by their efforts.

He told the club's official site: "The fitness levels the players are showing are extraordinary and have allowed us to broaden training plans.

"We sent the new players training plans which they have been following after their holidays and their levels are good, too."

The 46-year-old was also quick to stress the importance of the next seven days of pre-season training, particularly with the new season looming large on the horizon.

"It´s the most important week of pre-season. In Bad Ragaz we need to set the fitness levels and tactical disciplines for the coming season because we have some huge challenges ahead of us."

Dortmund have been quick to bolster their squad following the loss of Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich, signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and from Shakhtar Donetsk and Saint-Etienne striker Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang.

ILLARRAMENDI: I'LL JUSTIFY MY €32M TRANSFER PRICE

Asier Illarramendi has vowed to justify his €32 million transfer fee after being unveiled as a Real Madrid player on Saturday.
The midfielder signed a six-year deal at Santiago Bernabeu on Friday after Madrid met the sizeable release clause in his contract, with the player joining from Real Sociedad.

"Today is a very special day for me," he said. "Getting the chance to play here is a very unique opportunity. I will give everything for this crest.
"I would like to show my appreciation to Real Sociedad and their fans for everything they've done for me."
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez also credited Sociedad, and said Illarramendi would be well supported by the Madrid faithful.
"We are happy to welcome Asier Illarramendi to Real Madrid," Perez said. "I would like to show my appreciation to Real Sociedad and their president for making this possible.
"The fans will support you in the good and bad times."
Illarramendi starred for Spain's Under-21 side in their European Championship-winning campaign earlier this summer and has been likened to team-mate Xabi Alonso for his passing-based game.

WENGER: I WANT TO COMMIT MY LONG TERM FUTURE TO ARSENAL

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he is ready to commit his long-term future to the club.

Wenger's current deal with the Gunners expires next season, and he has held preliminary contract talks with chief executive Ivan Gazidis.
The Frenchman was linked earlier this summer with Paris Saint-Germain, who eventually appointed Laurent Blanc as Carlo Ancelotti's successor.

"I am committed to staying longer at this club. I've already had a chat with Ivan. It went very well, not a problem," Wenger said.
"The link with PSG is there because I'm French and I know the owners. But if that was the case then I would be there already. I'm not at PSG because my heart is with Arsenal."
Meanwhile, Wenger has hinted the club are in a better position to spend some money in the current transfer window.
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney and Liverpool strikerLuis Suarez have been mentioned as possible attacking targets along with Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain.
"They are all realistic targets quality-wise, but not all of them are available to join us," Wenger added.
"We have better financial resources than the years before and it is resources we have created ourselves. That is massively important to us.
"For years we were out of the race for the top-level transfers but we are coming back now because we are in a better financial situation and also because of Financial Fair Play."

PEREZ: EXPECT MORE SIGNINGS AT MADRID

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has hinted at making further signings this summer following the unveiling of Asier Illarramendi on a six-year-deal.

The 23-year-old was presented to the media at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday following his €32 million move from Real Sociedad, but Perez suggested his would not be the last arrival of the summer as they strive to build a team to match Carlo Ancelotti's vision of "spectacular" football.

"We continue to work and look for the spectacular football that Carlo Ancelotti wants," Perez told reporters. "We have an exceptional squad and a team of immense quality, but we are convinced we must keep working to continue being the best club in history.

"Today, a fantastic player arrives at Real Madrid, one who has become one of the great pearls of our game. Asier has been hailed as one of the best players of the [Spain] Under-21 side and he shares the dressing room with many players who are part of that team."

Illarramendi will hold a press conference later on Saturday after being presented to supporters on the Santiago Bernabeu pitch.

VALBUENA: PSG AND MONACO UNDER PRESSURE

Olympique de Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena believes Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco will be under significant pressure in the 2013-14 campaign.

PSG are favourites to complete the capture of Edinson Cavani from Napoli having invested heavily in their squad last season, while newly promoted Monaco have splashed the cash to land the likes of Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho this summer.

Valbuena, who helped Marseille clinch second spot behind PSG in Ligue 1 last season, feels the huge investment at each club will lead to a huge amount of expectation heading into the new season.

"The pressure will be mainly on their shoulders [PSG and Monaco]," he told La Provence. "Plenty is expected of them in relation to their spending and their recruitment."

Marseille have likewise invested in the market so far this summer, securing the signing of Dimitri Payet from Lille and agreeing a deal for Le Havre youngster Benjamin Mendy, and Valbuena is confident his side can compete for trophies next season.

"I'm still pumped," the 28-year-old added. "This season is super important. I want to be better, to be more decisive, to win titles, because it is magic to achieve things with l'OM."

INTER MILAN IN TALKS WITH PSG DEFENDER

Inter Milan director Piero Ausilio has confirmed they are in talks to sign Paris Saint-Germain defender Gregory van der Wiel.

Inter are hoping to bring in van der Wiel on a loan deal as they look to bring in a new right-back this sumer.
Dutch defender van der Wiel refused to rule out a move to Inter earlier this week and Ausilio has admitted talks are ongoing for the former Ajax man.

"We have an open discussion with PSG over van der Wiel. We are talking about a loan, so we'll see," said Ausilio
However, Ausilio has admitted that Juventus have so far rejected their overtures for Mauricio Isla.
"We are talking to Juve, but everyone sticks to their guns," added Ausilio. "They have one evaluation of the player, we have another."
Inter have also ended their interest in Basel defender Aleksandar Dragovic, feeling they have enough cover at the back.
"We like Dragovic, but we are covered in that area of the team there are seven players," concluded Ausilio.

COUTINHO INSISTS LIVERPOOL WANT TOP FOUR FINISH

Coutinho insists last season's impressive finish to the Premier League season has left Liverpool feeling confident of mounting a top-four challenge this term.

Brendan Rodgers' men lost just one of their last 16 matches in the league campaign, with the Brazilian No.10 and fellow January signing Daniel Sturridge at the heart of the revival.


And Coutinho is adamant this form means the Merseysiders will head into the new season full of belief in their ability to return Champions League football to Anfield.

"Some new players have arrived to help us and the team finished well last year, so we hope to be able to finish within the top four," he told the club's official website.

"That's what we have always fought for, but we should think on a game-by-game basis because the competition is very long and we have to sustain good performances throughout the whole season."

Coutinho wowed the Anfield faithful with some dazzling trickery and vision last season, and the 21-year-old revealed the secret of his success is his laid back nature on the pitch.

"I always try to be relaxed, always play football and enjoy myself because what I like doing most is to play football, so I'm not concerned with pressure or such things," he added.

"I just try to enjoy myself on the field and always do my best to help the team.

"I'll work as hard as I've always done, always trying to improve each day as much as I can and always trying to learn from the more experienced players and the manager. Always working hard is what is most important."