Bolton name Wigley as head coach

Bolton manager Gary Megson has reinforced his backroom staff by appointing former Southampton boss Steve Wigley as head coach.

Wigley, who also enjoyed a spell as assistant manager and first team coach at Manchester City, will link up with Wanderers when he returns from holiday.

He will combine his duties at the Reebok Stadium with his role as a coach with the England Under-21 set-up.

Wigley, 46, took up his role with the Football Association in August 2007.

Wigley had a brief spell as caretaker manager of Southampton in February 2004 following Gordon Strachan's departure and then got the job full time for the start of the 2004/05 season.

However, he only lasted until December having won just three of his 17 matches in charge.

Wigan & Sunderland chase Johnson Wigan & Sunderland chase Johnson Wigan & Sunderland chase Johnson

Wigan and Sunderland are leading the chase to persuade Everton manager David Moyes to sell striker Andrew Johnson.

Moyes has insisted Johnson, 27, is not for sale - but Everton may now decide to cash in to boost their transfer fund if they receive offers of about £10m.

BBC Sport understands Wigan boss Steve Bruce is currently in pole position and is ready to offer Johnson a lucrative package to tempt him to the JJB.

But Sunderland counterpart Roy Keane is still hoping to clinch a deal.

West Ham have also been strongly linked with Johnson - and boss Alan Curbishley could yet make a late move if Everton make it clear they are willing to sell.

Everton are currently at a pre-season training camp in Switzerland and while Moyes is reluctant to part with the player he signed for £8.6m from Crystal Palace in 2006, Johnson could be sacrificed in a bid to kick-start the incoming transfer activity at Goodison Park.

Moyes is an admirer of Blackburn's David Bentley but Tottenham remain favourites to land the England star, while Everton have also been linked with a move for Manchester United midfield man Darren Fletcher.

The Everton boss had previously told the official club website: "Andy Johnson is not for sale - it is that simple.

"He is a highly-valued member of my senior squad and I look forward to seeing him when the players report back for pre-season training."

Johnson has scored 22 goals in all competitions since his move from Selhurst Park.

He only signed a new five-year deal with the club in November 2007 after being linked to the Hammers.

Hull agree contract with Boateng

Hull City look set to complete the signing of Middlesborough midfielder George Boateng on Monday.

The 32-year-old Dutch international has agreed a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

"He's coming in for his medical and to sign contracts on Monday," chairman Paul Duffen told BBC Radio Humberside.

"He couldn't come in earlier because he's gone to fulfil a commitment in France playing in a charity match to raise money for Africa."

The former Feyenoord, Coventry and Aston Villa midfielder has played over 200 games in six seasons at the Riverside.

Duffen added: "All things being equal, obviously the medical has still got to go through but short of formalities we're there with George now which is great.

"He's a player of real quality and real class with a fantastic track record and will be exactly the sort of character as well as skill that we need in order to ensure we fight our second season in the Premier League a year hence."

Arsenal 'offer Adebayor to Milan'

AC Milan claim Arsenal are ready to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, a month after insisting he was not available.

The Gunners told Milan on 13 June that the striker, 24, was not for sale.

But Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani revealed the Gunners have since written to the Italian club to say they have changed their position.

Galliani told Italian TV station Antenna 3: "I have a letter from Arsenal that says 'we will consider a deal if it still interests you'."

However, the clubs still need to agree a fee, with Milan unwilling to meet Arsenal's £36m valuation of the Togo international.

Galliani says he has spoken to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger about a deal but that they are "divided" on the player's value.

Milan said in June that Adebayor was their "sole transfer target" of the summer, although they later said they could not afford him.

After selling Alberto Gilardino to Fiorentina and with Ronaldo out of action because of a serious knee injury, Milan have made signing a striker their top priority, although Barcelona also covet Adebayor, who scored 30 goals in 48 games last season.

"If Adebayor decides to leave, Milan definitely want him but it is clear that if an offer arrives from Barcelona it would be difficult for him to say no," Galliani added.

Galliani says he has spoken to Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger about a deal but that they are "divided" on the player's value.

Milan said in June that Adebayor was their "sole transfer target" of the summer, although they later said they could not afford him.

After selling Alberto Gilardino to Fiorentina and with Ronaldo out of action because of a serious knee injury, Milan have made signing a striker their top priority, although Barcelona also covet Adebayor, who scored 30 goals in 48 games last season.

"If Adebayor decides to leave, Milan definitely want him but it is clear that if an offer arrives from Barcelona it would be difficult for him to say no," Galliani added.

Villa complete Sidwell transfer

Aston Villa have made their first signing of the summer after Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell finalised his £5m move and signed a three-year deal.

The 25-year-old passed a medical on Thursday and is now expected to join Villa's pre-season tour of Switzerland.

"I am over the moon," Sidwell told the club's website. "It's taken a while but I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and playing football.

"I've had a year of not playing much so to get on the pitch is my first aim."

Sidwell failed to establish himself at Stamford Bridge after moving from Reading on a free transfer last summer.

He is the likely replacement for Gareth Barry when the Villa captain finally completes his move to Liverpool.

Sidwell was part of the Arsenal side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2000 and 2001 and had loan spells with Brentford and Brighton.

He was unable to force his way into the first team with the Gunners and moved to Reading in January 2003 on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

Sidwell played a big role in Reading gaining promotion to the top flight for the first time two years ago, but he rejected a new contract that summer and left the Royals on a free transfer to move to Chelsea in 2007.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill, meanwhile, could name Martin Laursen as captain in place of Barry, who is waiting to get the go-ahead to complete his switch to Anfield.

O'Neil said: "There are a number of people on the list and Martin Laursen would certainly be one of the names I'd be thinking about.

"He was terrific last season. There are a number of people who would want it but there are a number of people who are on my list who might not want it. I haven't discussed it yet.

"There are quite a few candidates at the club and perhaps others not yet at the club so that's something I'll look at further down the line."
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Crouch agrees terms with Pompey

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch has agreed personal terms with Portsmouth and will complete his move upon passing a medical within the next 48 hours.

It is believed the 27-year-old England international striker will cost Portsmouth about £11m.

Crouch is set to link up with Pompey again six years after leaving, and will work with boss Harry Redknapp for the third time in his career.

"Crouch is a terrific player, top class," Redknapp told BBC Radio Solent.

The Liverpool striker was also praised for his contribution to the Merseyside club by Reds manager Rafael Benitez.

"He is a good professional and we would have wanted him to stay," he said.

"We offered him a new contract. But sometimes you have to understand the player. He wanted to play a lot more."

The Spaniard added: "With Fernando Torres now first choice, that [playing more] was always going to be difficult.

"I can understand Peter's situation. But he did very well for this club and we always supported him when people doubted the decision to bring him to Anfield."

Crouch will team up with Jermain Defoe in a new-look Portsmouth attack next season.

Liverpool are expected to initially receive in the region of £9m for Crouch, who joined the club from Southampton in July 2005 but only started nine Premier League games last term.

Benitez initially said he would consider offers for Crouch in the region of £15m but has been forced to scale back his demands for a player with only a year left on his current contract.

Crouch has scored 40 goals in 135 appearances for Liverpool but has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place in recent times.

He was relegated behind Torres, who scored 33 goals for the Reds after signing from Atletico Madrid last summer.

However, he was a popular figure with Liverpool fans and still managed to net 11 goals as he was mainly used as a substitute by Benitez.

Crouch started his career as a trainee at Tottenham before moves to QPR, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Norwich - where he had a spell on loan - Southampton and Liverpool.

Chelsea insist Lampard will stay

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon insists Frank Lampard will see out the final year of his contract if a new deal cannot be agreed.

Lampard, 30, wants a longer deal than Chelsea's current offer of four years.

Chelsea have again insisted he is not for sale after rejecting a £7.95m bid from Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Kenyon said: "We'd like to hope we can reach an agreement but if we can't we have always worked on the basis that he sees out the terms of his contract."

He explained: "The situation is ongoing. We have always maintained that we want Frank to stay and an offer was made to that effect.

"That offer is still on the table. Frank is under contract and he still has one year to run on that."

New Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari insisted Lampard was happy to stay at Chelsea, but his agent, Steve Kutner, said the player's future was "completely unresolved".

Scolari revealed on Tuesday that Lampard had told him he wanted to stay "for more than one year".

"I was very happy because I asked if he wants to stay and he said 'yes, I will stay at Chelsea'," said Scolari.

However, Kutner's response soon after Scolari's news conference cast more doubt on the player's future.

Talks over a new deal for Lampard have been on-going for two years without success, and Chelsea face the prospect of the England international leaving for free next summer if the matter is not resolved.

"You've got Inter claiming they've made a bid, Chelsea saying that they are not entering into discussions over a transfer and Lampard pretty much saying meet my terms," said BBC football correspondent Jonathan Legard.

"The Lampard team are not happy, they are frustrated. Lampard wants to stay - exactly as Scolari said in his press conference - but he would like a five-year deal and Chelsea are only offering four on, from what I gather about £150,000-a-week.

"If Lampard feels that Chelsea won't meet his terms then perhaps he needs to look elsewhere and that is why Inter have come back again and are still confident they can get him to play for them next season under Jose Mourinho."

BBC 5 Live also report Chelsea insist there was no row between Lampard and chief executive Peter Kenyon at the Cobham training ground on Tuesday, despite reports to the contrary.

And at his first news conference in England since taking charge, Scolari insisted he envisaged Lampard's long-term future being in south-west London.

"I met him on Monday and told him that I like him very much as a player and as a person and I asked him if he wanted to stay, not only for this season but for longer," added Scolari.

"After we had spoken for 15 minutes, he said he wants to stay and play for Chelsea for many years.

"I am very happy because I think Chelsea need Lampard and I think he is with us for more than one year."

BBC Sport revealed on Monday that Inter had contacted the Blues over Lampard.

However, a statement on Chelsea's website on Tuesday read: "We have informed Inter that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer."

Despite Chelsea's insistence that they had not received an offer from Inter, the Italian club's president Massimo Moratti claims a bid was made.

"This is not true," said Moratti. "There was an offer and we confirm it. However, we don't want to create any big problems.

"They replied that they have no intention of negotiating, as was their right. Now we will see."

Lampard also has an option under Fifa rules to buy out the remaining 12 months of his contract.

Scolari has already signed Portugal midfielder Deco from Barcelona to join the Blues' already considerable midfield resources.

Wigan & Sunderland chase Johnson

Wigan and Sunderland are leading the chase to persuade Everton manager David Moyes to sell striker Andrew Johnson.
Moyes has insisted Johnson, 27, is not for sale - but Everton may now decide to cash in to boost their transfer fund if they receive offers of about £10m.
BBC Sport understands Wigan boss Steve Bruce is currently in pole position and is ready to offer Johnson a lucrative package to tempt him to the JJB.
But Sunderland counterpart Roy Keane is still hoping to clinch a deal.
West Ham have also been strongly linked with Johnson - and boss Alan Curbishley could yet make a late move if Everton make it clear they are willing to sell.

Bentley is still a Rover - Nelsen

Blackburn Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen has said no-one at the club has a problem working with want-away midfielder David Bentley.
The England international requested a transfer at the end of last season as he wants to move to a bigger club.
"For us he's a team-mate and will be until the club decide otherwise," Nelsen, 30, told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"We understand where he's coming from and we understand he might stay at the club as well."

"There's no animosity towards him or anything like that, it's his decision and you can't hold that against any person.
"Hopefully the fans will understand as well but he's done really good service for Blackburn.
"If he does decide to leave I think the club will be compensated very well so it's a win-win situation."
Nelsen will train with the Blackburn squad this week in England before going on the club's training camp in Germany and pre-season tournament in the Algarve.
But he will then be heading to Beijing to skipper New Zealand at the Olympic Games.

And he has admitted that he is delighted to have been given the go-ahead by Paul Ince to take part.
"I put the new manager in a difficult position in all honesty and I really appreciate that he's allowed me to go.
"With New Zealand we don't get to go to very many major tournaments and the Olympics is obviously a major one and I really wanted to play.
"Thankfully he's met me half-way and let me go for the first two games."

Lampard wants to stay - Scolari

New Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari insists Frank Lampard has told him he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have rejected an official approach from Inter Milan to discuss the transfer of the England midfielder.
"I was very happy because I asked if he wants to stay and he said 'yes, I will stay at Chelsea'," said Scolari.
Meanwhile, Lampard's camp said a new deal is still not agreed after two years of talks and his situation is "completely unresolved".
Lampard's contract expires next summer and he has been heavily linked with joining forces with ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho at the San Siro.
But, speaking later at his first press conference in England since taking charge of Chelsea, Scolari underlined that he sees Lampard's long-term future as being at the London club.
"I met him on Monday and told him that I like him very much as a player and as a person and I asked him if he wanted to stay, not only for this season but for longer," added Scolari.
"After we had spoken for 15 minutes, he said he wants to stay and play for Chelsea for many years.
"I am very happy because I think Chelsea need Lampard and I think he is with us for more than one year."
BBC Sport revealed on Monday that Inter had contacted the Blues over Lampard.
However, a statement on Chelsea's website on Tuesday read: "We have informed Inter that we will not enter into any discussions regarding the transfer."
Should he fail to agree a new deal with the Stamford Bridge outfit before his current deal runs out, Lampard would be free to leave without his new club paying a fee.

That appears to be reflected in Inter's valuation of the midfielder, with reports suggesting they had made a £6.5m bid.
And, despite Chelsea's insistence that they had not received an offer from Inter, the Italian club's president Massimo Moratti claims a bid was made.
"This is not true," said Moratti.
"There was an offer and we confirm it. However, we don't want to create any big problems.
"They replied that they have no intention of negotiating, as was their right. Now we will see."
Some reports had suggested that Lampard might be willing to buy out the remaining 12 months of his contract - as permitted under Fifa rules and on the back of Chelsea signing Portugal midfielder Deco from Barcelona in June.

Inter begin Lampard negotiations

Inter Milan have opened negotiations to sign Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, BBC Sport understands.
The Serie A club are believed to have sent a fax to Chelsea to begin the process of reuniting the 30-year-old with former Blues coach Jose Mourinho.
Earlier this month, Mourinho, who became Inter boss in June, said he did not expect to sign Lampard this summer.
The ex-West Ham star is into the final year of his Chelsea contract and is yet to commit his future to the club.
Reports on Monday suggested that the opening offer from Inter was £6.5m for Lampard, who is set to leave for free next summer.

The recent arrival at Stamford Bridge of Portugal central midfielder Deco, who was also courted by Mourinho and who has joined the Blues on a two-year deal from Barcelona, may hasten Lampard's exit.
There are also reports circulating that Chelsea striker Didier Drogba could be set for a reunion with Mourinho.
The Portuguese boss indicated in June that he would like to work with the Ivory Coast international again.
"I cannot forget Deco, Lampard and Drogba. These are players who I could never say no to," stated Mourinho.
"I would love to work with them again in the future but I am not too obsessed with this idea."
He added: "I don't know which of these three will leave their clubs but we will see."
If Mourinho bids for Drogba then he may face a fight for his signature from local rivals AC Milan, whose technical director Leonardo told BBC Sport that they are also keen on the forward.