Arsenal have signed the Swedish international striker Fredrik Ljungberg for £3 million after beating off competition from Chelsea.
The champions finalised the deal, which will earn Ljungberg around £400,000 a year, with the Swedish club Halmstad yesterday after Ljungberg had undergone a medical at Highbury.
Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger decided to swoop for the 21-year-old after his outstanding display in Sweden's 2-1 win over England in last Saturday's Euro 2000 qualifier in Stockholm.
"I have been aware of Ljungberg for some time but after watching him against England I decided to move for him very quickly," Wenger said. "He's a player of intelligence and technique with pace and a fighting desire - and of course he is also young."
Ljungberg's agent, Vincenzo Morabito, confirmed Chelsea's interest. "Just a couple of hours after we made the deal Chelsea wanted to sign Fredrik from July 1 next year. That shows how hot he is for the English clubs. Now he is going to a top club whose style will suit him down to the ground."
Across north London, Tottenham's caretaker manager David Pleat said Darren Anderton was not for sale after reports suggested Leeds were ready with a £6 million bid for the England midfielder.
George Graham, who has been linked with the manager's job at Spurs, has been promised £15 million by Leeds to spend on players, with Anderton said to be top of his list. "We are not selling Darren, and George knows that," said Pleat. "I think that is a sardine to catch a trawler."
Doncaster have added Steve Nicol to their international rollcall. The 36-year-old former Scotland and Liverpool midfielder, who was released by Sheffield Wednesday in May, will join Neville South all and John Sheridan in the squad for today's Football Conference match at Hayes.
The former Sheffield Wednesday manager Ron Atkinson is likely to be confirmed as the new coach of South Africa within two weeks. After talks with the South African FA in Johannesburg, Atkinson said: "I have been very impressed."
UEFA has complained to the European Commission that the proposed Super League would violate European Union anti-trust rules. Gerhard Aigner, UEFA's general-secretary, told the EU's Competition Commissioner Karel van Miert that the Super League would discriminate against some of the 51 national associations.
Last week Van Miert told the German newspaper Handelsblatt: "The project could raise problems from a competition point of view."
Ruud Gullit has played down rumours that he made an approach for Fiorentina's midfielder Rui Costa. The Newcastle manager said: "Costa does not figure in my plans."
The Asian Football Confederation has indefinitely suspended Thailand and Indonesia after both sides tried to lose their recent Tiger Cup match in Vietnam to avoid playing the hosts in the semi-finals. Thailand won the match 3-2 through a deliberate own goal in the last minute.
Leaders Glentoran will have to break down the best defence in the country at the Oval this afternoon to maintain their 100 per cent credentials in the Irish League premier division.
Opponents Ballymena United, in third place, have conceded only one goal so far and will be a tough nut to crack.
On that Windsor Park occasion United manager, Alan Fraser, reckoned his team was unlucky to lose. "We have no fears about taking on Glentoran," he said.
The solid United back division is built around central defenders John McConnell and Jason Allen, and Glentoran will need to be at their best.
