Soccer Shorts: Reports in the Spanish media are insisting Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira could be a Real Madrid player as soon as tomorrow.

Diario AS believe the deal to confirm Vieira as a new Real Madrid player will be concluded almost as soon as the Spanish club return from their Champions League qualifier with Wisla Krakow in Poland.

The paper reported: "If everything goes as planned, Vieira will be presented on Thursday as a new Real Madrid player for the next five years and he will immediately join their training sessions."

However, the paper admits there are still some small details to be thrashed out between Arsenal and Madrid before the move can finally be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Olympique Marseille are seeking financial compensation from Arsenal for Mathieu Flamini after failing to block his move to London.

The 20-year-old midfielder joined Arsenal last month but Marseille said the switch contravened French league rules because a player must sign his first professional contract with the club that groomed him.

Since Flamini had not signed a professional contract with Marseille, Arsenal do not have to pay a transfer fee, only compensation.

The club are apparently interested in Valencia striker Miguel Angel Angulo according to the player's agent. "Arsenal are interested in Angulo and we have an offer for him," Angulo's agent, Jose Luis Tamargo, stated yesterday.

Spurs in for Phillips

Tottenham will pursue their interest in Shaun Wright-Phillips after yesterday tying up the £600,000 signing of the Moroccan defender Nourredine Naybet from Deportivo La Coruna.

Spurs have already made a £4 million offer for Wright-Phillips, to which Manchester City responded by saying the player is not for sale.

The winger is currently in talks over extending his contract, which has two years to run. But Spurs are not deterred and hope to secure him in time for him to be available for Saturday's game with Liverpool.

Ironically, Liverpool are also interested in Wright-Phillips while Alex Ferguson is understood to have requested first option on the player. But Spurs has its own allure for Wright-Phillips as he from London.

Spurs are understood to have had an approach for Jason Euell snubbed yesterday, with the midfielder ready to extend his Charlton contract. That is expected to prompt a move for West Ham's £3.5 million midfielder Michael Carrick, though no inquiries have yet been lodged from White Hart Lane.

Portsmouth still hope to land the 23-year-old, with West Bromwich declaring their interest yesterday after the collapse of Arsenal's negotiations with Carrick.

Charlton splash cash

Danny Murphy yesterday described Charlton as a better team, and a more stable and potentially bigger club than Tottenham, as he explained why he turned down Spurs to move to The Valley from Liverpool for £2.5 million.

"I did have the choice to go to Tottenham and play first-team football, contrary to reports," said the midfielder, who was followed into Charlton last night by Francis Jeffers as the striker made a £2.6m move from Arsenal.

"With Alan (Curbishley) in charge I think they can definitely keep progressing and become as big, if not bigger, than Tottenham."

Blatter gets pounded

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Dick Pound said yesterday there would be no amendments or exceptions made to the anti-doping code to accommodate FIFA .

Pound was responding to comments made by FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Monday which has prompted the latest round in an ongoing dispute about how soccer should come under WADA's umbrella.

"There is no agreement," Pound said. "There are no conditions for FIFA, no exceptions. They have said they agreed to sign the code and the same conditions apply to them as to all other sports bodies."

FIFA signed a declaration at its Centenary Congress in May that "officially ratified its cooperation with WADA" but has yet to sign the "Acceptance of the World Anti-Doping Code".

Blatter said that his organisation had signed the declaration on the understanding that WADA would accept certain amendments, the most important being the right to deal with each case on an individual basis.

"We have said we are going to fight doping but also that the amendments - I cannot say exceptions - which were presented by Mr Pound are an integrated part of our signature," Blatter said.

Carr completes move

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Ireland defender Stephen Carr from Tottenham, the Tyneside club said last night.

The 27-year-old right back moved to St James' Park on a four-year contract. The transfer fee was not disclosed.

Carr, who has 30 Irish caps, joined Spurs in 1992 and had a year left on his contract.

Meanwhile, Newcastle were told last night they must turn up for Saturday's game at Middlesbrough after it was ruled that the conjunctivitis infection afflicting five United players poses no real risk to public health.

In brief . . .

Birmingham City have signed former Tottenham midfielder Darren Anderton on a one-year deal . . . The Portuguese FA has published a medical bulletin to prove that Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is fit to compete in the Olympics . . . Former Barcelona midfielder Luis Enrique is to retire at the age of 34 . . . Everton have stated they will not sell Thomas Gravesen for less than £3million following an undisclosed bid for the Danish midfielder from Hamburg . . . Speculation increased yesterday that the English FA has already chosen several candidates to become its new chief executive .