City sign Taylor to provide cover

The Manchester City backup goalkeeper Joe Hart looks set to join Birmingham City on loan, after his parent club signed Stuart Taylor from Aston Villa yesterday. Taylor, who follows Gareth Barry from Villa Park to City, will serve as backup to first-choice goalkeeper Shay Given, with Hart expected to join Birmingham on a season-long loan in order to play first-team football. Meanwhile Liverpool's manager Rafa Benitez said that Liverpool had to pay a premium to sign Glen Johnson because he is British. The Reds will pay Portsmouth £17million (D101.7m) for the defender. "Sometimes you have to spend a little bit more. We were looking for quality and British because of the new Champions League rules," he said.