A roundup of today's other soccer news in brief

Redknapp told to forget James move

Harry Redknapp’s desire to take David James from Portsmouth before today’s 5pm transfer deadline may have been scuppered, after Daniel Levy, the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, told him that he was opposed to the idea.

Levy has backed Redknapp strongly in the market since appointing him as manager last October and has sanctioned a €3.4 million move for another Portsmouth player, Niko Kranjcar, who is set for a medical this morning. But Levy feels that in Heurelho Gomes, who is injured, and Carlo Cudicini, whom he signed last January, the club has two good-quality and expensive goalkeepers and Redknapp’s wish to add the 39-year-old James is a step too far.

• Guardian Service

Wolves sign Rapid Vienna striker

WOLVES last night clinched the signing of Austria striker Stefan Maierhofer from Rapid Vienna on a three-year deal.

Maierhofer, who notched 23 goals in 37 games for Rapid last season, has joined the Premier League outfit for an undisclosed fee.

The deal also includes an option for the club to extend the contract with the 6ft 7in frontman for a further season.

The 27-year-old became Wolves boss Mick McCarthy’s second signing of the day following the arrival of Ecuador midfielder Segundo Castillo on a season-long loan from Red Star Belgrade. Castillo was on loan at Everton last season.

Maierhofer becomes the latest arrival at Molineux. He joins Castillo, Nenad Milijas, Marcus Hahnemann, Kevin Doyle, Andrew Surman, Greg Halford, Ronald Zubar and Michael Mancienne at the club after a summer of intense transfer activity.

Turner joins Sunderland on a four-year deal 

SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce completed a big-money move for Hull defender Michael Turner last night.

The 25-year-old has joined Sunderland for an undisclosed fee and has signed a four-year deal.

Turner, who joined Hull from Brentford for just €397,000 in July 2006, becomes Bruce’s seventh summer signing after Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole, Fraizer Campbell, Lorik Cana, Paulo da Silva and loanee John Mensah.

A delighted Bruce said: “I have been looking to add size and strength to the back line and Michael fits the bill perfectly in that respect, as well as being an excellent technical footballer.

“His aerial ability provides us with another dimension at set-pieces at either end of the field, and I am delighted that he has chosen to buy into what we are trying to achieve here at Sunderland.”

The new Sunderland recruit has been tipped for international honours since the early stages of last season.

US consortium eyeing Newcastle

REPRESENTATIVES of a New York-based consortium claim they hope to hold talks with Newcastle over the next 48 hours with a view to buying the club.

They have arrived in England and say they are ready to hold substantive discussions with owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias rather than investment bankers Seymour Pierce.

Their mission comes a week after prospective buyer Barry Moat was given extra time to put financial arrangements in place before launching a formal bid for the club.

With the summer transfer window due to close at 5pm today, the club remains up for sale more than three months after Ashley decided to put it on the market for the second time in less than a year.

All the indications in recent days have been that none of the many parties which have expressed an interest have yet come up with the money to mount a successful takeover bid.

One in, one out at West Ham

WEST HAM have signed defender Manuel Da Costa from Fiorentina and allowed forward Savio Nsereko to move in the opposite direction.

Germany Under-21 international Savio returns to Italy just seven months after joining West Ham from Brescia for a fee of around €9 million.

He struggled to make an impact in the Premier League and West Ham will hope Portuguese centre back Da Costa is better equipped to adapt to English football.

Newcastle’s Xisco has joined Spanish club Racing Santander on loan after 12 miserable months in England.

The 23-year-old has clinched a season-long deal to return to his home country, after passing a medical.

Xisco, a Spain Under-21 international, managed only nine senior appearances for Newcastle, five of them as a substitute, and scored just one goal.