BARCELONA
Fifa has rejected Barcelona’s appeal against a one-year transfer ban as punishment for repeatedly breaching transfer regulations in signing youth players.
The ban on signing any players will apply for the whole of 2015, covering the January and summer transfer windows. Because Barca appealed, the punishment was frozen during the current transfer window, which closes on September 1 and allowed them to sign striker Luis Suarez.
Fifa found the signing of 10 unnamed players to be in breach of its rules covering the protection of minors. A fine of 450,000 Swiss francs (Dh1.8m) was also imposed on Barcelona.
The Spanish Football Federation was also found to have violated Fifa rules covering the registration of minors. Its appeal against a fine of 500,000 Swiss francs was also rejected.
SWANSEA
Swansea City have signed Argentina defender Federico Fernandez from Napoli for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old centre back, who has 26 caps for his country and made four appearances at the World Cup where Argentina reached the final, signed a four-year deal with the Welsh club after passing his medical on Monday.
His move is subject to international clearance but the club say they expect the player to go straight into the squad for Saturday’s league fixture at home to newly-promoted Burnley, following their opening day win at Manchester United last weekend.
Fernandez was part of the Napoli team that won the Coppa Italia last season and played in both of their Champions League and Europa League campaigns.
Injury meant he missed both legs when the Italian side knocked his new club out of the Europa League in the round of 32 in the previous campaign.
NAPOLI
Netherlands World Cup midfielder Jonathan de Guzman has joined Napoli from Villarreal after spending the past two seasons on loan at Swansea City, the Serie A club said on Wednesday.
De Guzman, born in Canada to a Filipino father and Jamaican mother, played in three matches as the Netherlands finished third in the World Cup in June and July.
The 26-year-old, whose brother Julian plays for Canada, will team up with Spanish forward Michu, who moved from Swansea to Napoli earlier in the transfer window.
Third in Serie A last season, Napoli have been relatively quiet in the transfer market with defender Kalidou Koulibaly their only other new signing.
Rafael Benitez’s team were held 1-1 at home by Athletic Bilbao in their Champions League playoff first leg tie on Tuesday, their first competitive match of the season.
SUNDERLAND
Sunderland midfielder Alfred N’Diaye could finally be on his way out of the club as talks resume over his future.
The 24-year-old Frenchman, who spent the second half of last season on loan to Spanish club Real Betis, has attracted interest from Betis, Celta Vigo and Elche in recent months.
But despite agreeing a fee – understood to be in the region of £2 million (Dh12.2m) – with Sunderland some time ago, Betis were unable to table personal terms which were acceptable to N’Diaye.
However, it is understood a further round of talks is due to get under way with no other suitor having pushed home their interest.
Sunderland are keen to offload the player, signed in January 2013 by then manager Martin O’Neill, as they re-shape their squad after last season’s remarkable fight for Premier League survival.
They have already signed seven new players and have high hopes of adding to that list as sporting director Lee Congerton and head coach Gus Poyet focus on their remaining targets with the closure of the summer transfer window looming.
However, the likes of N’Diaye, fellow midfielder Cabral and central defender Modibo Diakite, none of whom have been given squad numbers for the new season, are expected to leave.
The rebuilding plan is being complicated somewhat by Sunderland’s pursuit of top target Fabio Borini, who remains frustratingly out of their grasp.
The Borini camp has indicated the Italian wants to fight for his place at Liverpool this season, having enjoyed a successful campaign at the Stadium of Light last time around, and the collapse of Brendan Rodgers’ move for QPR frontman Loic Remy has weakened Sunderland’s armoury.
Poyet has been bullish about getting his man in recent days, but the point where the club will have to admit defeat and move on to other options should no deal be struck is fast approaching.
HULL CITY
Hull midfielder Robert Snodgrass has been ruled out for six months with a dislocated kneecap.
Tigers manager Steve Bruce revealed the extent of the injury to Snodgrass ahead of the club’s Europa League qualifier against Lokeren in Belgium on Thursday, a club spokesman confirmed.
And it could get worse for Snodgrass who is due to undergo scans to investigate possible ligament damage.
Snodgrass was one of Bruce’s big summer signings after his £7m move from Norwich.
The 26-year-old Scot pulled up with a suspected twisted knee in the first half of his side’s 1-0 Premier League win at QPR on Saturday.
Snodgrass wrote on Twitter: “Gutted ....!!! But I will work as hard as I can to come back fitter and stronger.”
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