ARSENAL
English Premier League side Arsenal said Sunday they have signed Colombia’s World Cup goalkeeper David Ospina from Ligue 1 club Nice.
Ospina, 25, was one of the stars of the World Cup with spectacular performances as his country reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
Arsenal said he would sign a “long term contract” but did not give the fee. French reports this week said Arsenal would pay about €4 million (Dh19.8m). He has been at Nice for six seasons.
“David Ospina is an excellent goalkeeper, with good experience and a proven record of performing with Nice and Colombia,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
“He will add strength to our squad and we are very pleased that he will be joining us.”
Ospina is expected to make his first appearance at the Emirates Cup, which takes place at Arsenal next weekend.
LIVERPOOL
Queens Park Rangers striker Loic Remy’s proposed move to Liverpool is off after the Reds pulled out due to concerns over the player’s medical.
Remy has this week been with the Merseysiders in Boston, where they are on a pre-season tour, ahead of what was expected to be the completion of a deal reports suggested would be for around £8m.
With personal terms understood to have been agreed, it was initially thought that problems with paperwork had caused a delay to the transfer being sealed, but it now appears it will not go through at all because of Liverpool’s worries relating to the France international’s physical condition.
CHELSEA
Diego Costa scored on his Chelsea debut as the Blues came from behind to beat Slovenian outfit Olimpija Ljubljana 2-1 away in a friendly on Sunday.
After the hosts had taken the lead through Nik Kapun’s 40th-minute strike, striker Costa levelled the match 10 minutes into the second half, converting a through-ball from his fellow Spain international and summer recruit Cesc Fabregas, who was also making his bow for his new club.
Eight minutes later, defender Kurt Zouma prodded in the winner, following-up a Fernando Torres shot that had been parried.
MONACO
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim expects Colombia striker Radamel Falcao to make his long-awaited comeback from injury at the Emirates Stadium next weekend.
Falcao was ruled out of the rest of the 2013-14 season and subsequently missed the World Cup finals in Brazil after suffering extensive knee ligament damage in January.
The 28-year-old striker has spent the summer stepping up his recovery and looks set to run out for Monaco for the first time in six months when they tackle Valencia - and then potentially either Arsenal or Benfica - at the Emirates Cup tournament, which takes place over the weekend of August 2-3.
Jardim told L’Equipe: “I think he will be able to start playing again at the Emirates Cup. He is now in the final phase of his recuperation.”
BAYERN MUNICH
Bayern Munich’s chairman is giving coach Pep Guardiola a ringing endorsement as he prepares for his second season in charge, saying that the club will never sack him.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was responding to questions in Sunday’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper about whether he was worried that Bayern could struggle this season since many of their stars haven’t yet returned after playing at the World Cup.
The interviewer recalled that Bayern coaches were dismissed in disappointing seasons following the last two World Cups.
Rummenigge said Guardiola will remain in charge “at least until his contract ends” in 2016.
He was quoted as saying: “Bayern will never dismiss Pep Guardiola. I can give you that in writing today.”
Guardiola led Bayern to the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal (German Cup) double championships last season.
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