Arsenal have completed the signing of Japanese international Junichi Inamoto from J-League club Gamba Osaka. The 21-year-old midfielder, who has 22 caps for his country, was part of the successful team that won both the Asian Cup and Kirin Cup this year.
Arsenal will not disclose the fee they have paid for Inamoto, but it is believed to be around £3.5 million sterling and he will go straight on duty for Arsenal, leaving with them for Austria where they play three pre-season friendly matches.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who tracked the player for some time, said: "We are pleased to welcome Inamoto to the club. He is physically strong and a great passer of the ball. His enthusiasm and ability will undoubtedly strengthen our squad this season."
Northern Ireland goalkeeper Roy Carroll is set to join Manchester United from Wigan for an estimated £2.5million sterling. It is understood Carroll has spoken to United manager Alex Ferguson and agreed personal terms.
Carroll (23) has not gone on Wigan's pre-season tour of Scotland and is due to have a medical a United in the next few days.
Ferguson is keen to sign Carroll as cover for Fabien Barthez because Raimond van der Gouw is getting too old and Paul Rachubka is too young and inexperienced.
England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed how he turned to a Norwegian sports psychologist for inspiration during his first management role and how he could again use his services to underpin England's 2002 World Cup finals campaign.
He believes that the six-week duration of the tournament could be just the right time for Willi Railo's methods to be implemented.
Eriksson has known the sports psychologist, who has previously worked with Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander, for more than 20 years, using him at Lazio among other clubs.
The Swede has just written a book - Sven-Goran Eriksson on Football in which he studies the ways that powers of psychology can be harnessed to achieve sporting success.
Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said yesterday that he did not see himself moving abroad when he leaves the club, ruling himself out as a candidate for taking over Manchester United. "If I move again, then only in Germany," he said.
Eyal Berkovic has launched a bitter tirade at Celtic as he prepares to complete his £1.5 million sterling move to Manchester City.He fell out with Celtic manager Martin O'Neill and yesterday said: "O'Neill didn't even speak to me before I went down to Manchester so I guess that tells its own story," he told Sky Sports.
He added: "I am pleased that I am finally going to a club that is warm and really wants me. Those were things that I didn't feel in my last season at Celtic."
