A round-up of today's other soccer stories in brief...

Riera to complete Liverpool move

LIVERPOOL are poised to complete the signing of Albert Riera from Espanyol after the Spanish wide midfielder flew to England for a medical.

Terms of the deal have been agreed between the clubs and the 26-year-old must only prove his fitness to seal his move to Anfield.

The fee involved is thought to be around €10 million, with Riera set to return to the Premier League having previously had a loan spell with Manchester City in the 2005-'06 season.

Liverpool have announced that the plans for their new stadium in Stanley Park have been delayed yet again. The announcement, which came in a club statement yesterday, is not unexpected as it has been feared that American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were having trouble raising the funds for the €500 million new ground.

Sonko joins Stoke

STOKE have signed defender Ibrahima Sonko from Reading for a fee which could be worth up to €2.8 million, the club have announced yesterday.

The 27-year-old moves to newly-promoted Stoke after four years with Reading where he was a mainstay of the squad that claimed promotion to the Premier League although his appearances in their two-year stay in the top flight were restricted by injury.

The deal will initially cost the newly-promoted club €2.5 million potentially rising to €2.8 million.

Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes told the club's official website, www.stokecity.co.uk: "We are delighted to make Ibrahima the club's latest signing. He is a quality addition to the squad and comes with plenty of Premier League experience, having played in the top flight with Reading."

FULHAM have signed 26-year-old midfielder Dickson Etuhu from Sunderland on a three-year contract, the London Premier League club confirmed last night.

Everton agree to take on Saha

EVERTON have announced they have agreed to sign Manchester United's Louis Saha, subject to a medical.

Manager David Moyes had agreed an undisclosed fee for the France striker, who has been offered a two-year contract.

The 30-year-old former Fulham forward will become Everton's third signing in a week following the captures of Lars Jacobsen and Segundo Castillo, providing he is passed fit by the club's medical staff.

Saha, whose spell at Old Trafford was beset by injuries, scored 42 goals during his United career.

City allowed to talk to Zabaleta

ESPANYOL have given Pablo Zabaleta permission to travel to Manchester City for a medical after the Premier League club offered to pay the Argentina international's €8 million buy-out clause.

Espanyol had been hoping to keep hold of the 23-year-old right-sided defender, but after receiving City's offer they have given Zabaleta the green light to push through a move to England.

An Espanyol club statement said: "Espanyol have decided . . . to authorise the player to travel to Manchester to take a medical this Friday, while the English club deals with the documentation of the termination of the Argentinian full back's contract with the Catalan team."

Zabaleta joined Espanyol from San Lorenzo in 2005 and has been a regular member of the their first team, helping them win the 2006 Copa del Rey.

McShane sought

CHARLTON manager Alan Pardew is on the trail of Sunderland's Republic of Ireland defender Paul McShane ahead of Monday's transfer deadline.

Anton Ferdinand's switch from West Ham to Sunderland is likely to push McShane further down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light and Pardew, who has already brought in Portsmouth's Linvoy Primus on loan this week, wants to bolster his back line further.