Mark Hughes turned his back on Chelsea's European challenge when he agreed a three-year contract with Southampton yesterday. The 34-year-old former Welsh international will today sign for the Saints for a fee of £500,000 and become Dave Jones's fifth recruit in 10 days.

The former Manchester United player had a year of his contract remaining at Stamford Bridge but felt his chances of first-team play were limited after the Cup Winners' Cup holders signed Pierluigi Casiraghi from Lazio.

Southampton have already recruited four other players using the £7.25 million from the sale of Kevin Davies to Blackburn. The Tottenham midfielder David Howells completed his free transfer last week and has been followed to The Dell by Blackburn's Stuart Ripley and James Beattie. Jones put his hand in his pocket again yesterday when he beat West Ham, Leicester and Derby to the signature of the King's Lynn striker Mark Paul. The 19-year-old has signed a three-year deal which could earn the Dr Marten's Premier Division side £150,000 after an initial payment of £75,000.

Republic of Ireland international midfielder Roy Keane will make his long-awaited return for Manchester United this month in a pre-season friendly against Birmingham.

Keane is back in full training after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury suffered nearly 10 months ago and United manager Alex Ferguson confirmed he will play in the match at Birmingham on July 25th.

Ferguson also revealed that he could have brought Keane back towards the end of last season but was determined not to risk him. "He's been doing ever so well and everything we have done with him has been right," he said.

Micky Adams yesterday became Dave Bassett's new assistant at Nottingham Forest. The former Fulham and Brentford manager takes up a post that has been vacant since Bobby Houghton left the City Ground to become coach of China's national side midway through last season.

Middlesbrough are considering making a move for Andrei Kanchelskis, whom Fiorentina have made available for a cut-price £4 million. Boro's manager Bryan Robson, who has completed the signing of one former United teammate Gary Pallister this week, is interested in the 29-year-old Ukrainian and the Italian club are prepared to cut their losses on a player they signed from Everton for £8 million in February 1997.

Patrick Valery, who signed for Blackburn on a free transfer last summer, has returned to Bastia for £80,000.

Reading yesterday signed Graeme Murty from York City for £700,000, Mass Sarr from Hajduk Split for £158,000 and Mark Reilly from Kilmarnock on a free transfer.