Sol Campbell is aiming to repay Newcastle United's faith in him after signing a one-year deal with the newly promoted Premier League side. The 35-year-old centre-back was out of contract after his short-term deal with Arsenal expired earlier this summer. It was his second spell with the Londoners in a career which has spanned four clubs before Newcastle and has seen him win 73 England caps.
"At this stage, I couldn't have wished for a better move," Campbell told the club's website. "I'd like to thank Chris Hughton [the manager] for putting his faith in me and aim to repay him and the supporters by giving everything I possibly can to help re-establish this great club in the top-tier of English football." Campbell's signing will bolster a Newcastle defence that has been weakened by Steven Taylor's shoulder injury. Taylor is set to miss the start of the season, which begins away to Manchester United on August 16, but there are fears he could be sidelined for several months.
Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has confirmed Nicklas Bendtner, the striker, will miss the start of the season due to a persistent groin injury. Bendtner, 22, underwent surgery last November but the injury hampered his World Cup campaign and he has been ruled out of Arsenal's opener against Liverpool on August 15. Wenger also fears he could also be without Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie, who played against each other in the World Cup final for Spain and Holland respectively.
"Bendtner will not be available for the start of the season," Wenger said. "Fabregas and Van Persie are due to come back on August 5 and from then on we will see how much build-up work is needed physically and as well how they have recovered mentally from the World Cup. "They might be short for the first game [of the season] but I don't know, that will depend on the fitness work they have done during the holiday."
Avram Grant, the West Ham manager, has completed his management team with the appointment of Zeljko Petrovic, the former Yugoslavia international, as his new assistant manager. Grant had outlined his desire to appoint Petrovic, 44, when he took over at Upton Park earlier this summer. The Hammers confirmed they have rejected an offer from Tottenham for Scott Parker, the club captain, with David Sullivan, the chairman, insisting the midfielder is not for sale at any price.
Sullivan told the club's website: "I made a promise that I would not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to the West Ham supporters." Luke Young, the Aston Villa defender, has emerged as a target for Liverpool and is weighing up whether to make a cut- price £2.5 million (Dh14.25m) move to Anfield. Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, said: "There has been an offer from a football club which Luke is mulling over and, if it doesn't materialise, then he would join us in Portugal [for the pre-season Guadiana Cup]."
* Agencies
