Reading will not be entertaining any offers for academy boss Eamonn Dolan, who has been linked with the Leeds United job.
Dolan has been talked of as a potential replacement for Brian McDermott at Elland Road, with Leeds owner Massimo Cellino seeking a domestic head coach to take over.
But Reading director of football Nicky Hammond revealed the club has no intention of letting Dolan leave the role he has been in since leaving Exeter City 10 years ago.
Hammond said: “Reading FC are aware of the interest of another Championship club in our academy manager Eamonn Dolan.
“Eamonn is an integral part of our club and is under contract to Reading Football Club.
“Eamonn has done an incredible job since taking over from Brendan Rodgers and we hope he will be a big part of our club for many years to come.
“He has a fantastic relationship with our manager Nigel Adkins and we do not welcome any approaches from any club for our key staff. We hope this is the end of the matter.”
Doncaster’s scheduled press conference to announce the proposed takeover of the club by Louis Tomlinson and John Ryan has been cancelled.
The club and One Direction band member Tomlinson had been hoping to make a formal announcement on Wednesday after a press conference planned for last Friday at Wembley was postponed.
A deal has yet to be concluded, and talks are ongoing regarding issues connected with Tomlinson’s image rights.
The club made no comment on the matter, but a further statement is expected later this week.
Tomlinson is scheduled to perform with his One Direction bandmates in Sweden on Friday night as the next leg of their world tour gets under way and both parties are hoping to conclude a deal before then.
Doncaster confirmed at the end of last month that they were in talks with Tomlinson’s representatives about a possible takeover.
The Doncaster-born singer and lifelong fan is registered as a player for Rovers and played for their reserve team in February.
He has linked up with former chairman Ryan to launch a buy-out of the club, who were relegated to Sky Bet League 1 last season.
Blackpool have confirmed the appointment of Belgian Jose Riga as their new manager.
The 56-year-old, who saved Charlton from relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season, agreed a contract in principle with the club’s chairman Karl Oyston last week.
Riga has now signed a one-year rolling contract to succeed former caretaker player-manager Barry Ferguson at Bloomfield Road.
He said: “I had a good discussion with the chairman and we found an agreement. I’m ready for the big challenge.
“It’s not an easy challenge. I’m sure that with the support of the chairman and certainly the support of the fans – who really must be our twelfth man – I’m sure we can succeed.
“First of all, I will work hard to build a consistent team. They know the way I like to play but first of all we have to look for efficiency. The only promise I can make – which I’ve done everywhere – is to give all I can give to the club.”
Riga, a former technical director at AC Milan, took over from sacked Charlton boss Chris Powell in March, charged with keeping them in the second tier despite sitting bottom of the division.
He won seven of his 16 games in charge and took them to an 18th-place finish, seven points clear of the drop zone, before leaving the club at the end of his temporary contract.
Riga has had two spells in charge of Standard Liege, who share the same owner as Charlton.
In his second stint during the 2011-12 season, Riga guided them to the last 16 of the Europa League before finishing fourth in the Belgian top flight.
Apart from his spells with Liege, he has also worked as a scout and analyst for the Belgian national team, spent time with the Aspire Academy in Qatar, and was invited by Jose Mourinho to spend a week training the Real Madrid squad in 2011.
Blackpool finished 20th in the Championship last season, after sacking Paul Ince in January, just two points above the relegation places.
Nottingham Forest are hoping to negotiate ‘one or two technical issues’ and complete a deal for Lars Veldwijk.
A fee has been agreed for the Excelsior striker and he has visited the City Ground to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.
The towering frontman has, however, returned to Holland after requesting time in which to mull over a move.
Forest coach Brian Eastick remains optimistic regarding the chances of a switch being pushed through, but concedes that there are a few hurdles to be overcome before the 22-year-old’s signature can be secured.
He told the Nottingham Evening Post: “There are one or two technical issues that we hope will be resolved in the next 24 hours.
“If it does not go through, it will not be the fault of anyone at Nottingham Forest.”
If Veldwijk signs, he would become the second attacking addition at Forest following the arrival of Matty Fryatt on a free transfer at the end of his contract at Hull City.
“There was some fierce competition for his signature, so everyone is delighted he put pen to paper with us.”
Incoming manager Stuart Pearce is yet to officially take the reins on Trentside, with his deal due to start on July 1, but Eastick admits he has made the acquisition of more firepower a top priority.
He added: “It is fair to say that it is a position we knew we wanted to strengthen.
“If you look at the teams who went up last season, at Leicester and Burnley, they had players who were a threat and were prepared to run in behind.
“Most importantly, they had players who were able to score goals. It is an area where every manager likes to have a strong selection of players.
“We have one very good one coming in (Fryatt) to compete with the ones we have already got, and hopefully there will still be another one coming in.”
Eastick believes Forest have pulled off quite a coup in landing former Leicester City frontman Fryatt – a player the club have been chasing for some time.
He said: “There was some fierce competition for his signature, so everyone is delighted he put pen to paper with us.
“It was probably the prospect of first-team football that lured him here. There was a lot of challenging competition for him at Hull City, he would perhaps hope that he would spend more minutes playing for us than he would with them in the Premier League.
“But there were quite a few good quality Championship clubs who were also trying to get his signature.
“He has moved for very good fees in the past, so to get him on a free transfer has to be considered a very good signing for us.”
Crewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis admits he would be keen on bringing James Bailey back to the club when his Derby County contract expires.
The 25-year-old is due to become a free agent this summer after failing to secure fresh terms at Derby and that has opened the door to a possible return to Crewe, the club that helped to launch his career.
Bailey is a product of the Alex’s famed academy system and spent three years in their first-team set-up before stepping up the ladder to join Derby in 2010.
After making a bright start to life with the Sky Bet Championship side, the versatile midfielder began to slip down the pecking order and spent time on loan at Coventry City in 2012/13.
He is now looking to make a fresh start and reignite his career, and Davis would be happy to offer him the opportunity to do that in familiar surroundings if there is a deal to be done.
He said: “I am aware that we have been linked with James Bailey and I have never been against bringing former players back to the club.
“It would be like any other player. If they are better than what we have, then we would do it and he has arguably been better than what we have had.
“I wouldn’t say he was on our radar as such, but I wouldn’t bet against it.
“Sometimes, a player needs to take a step back to get his career going again and there is no better place than where it all started for him here.
“Much would depend on him and his hunger to get himself going again but we know he is a good player and could do a job for us.
“He didn’t play too much at Derby last season, but he did well on loan at Coventry at this level.”
Tommy Elphick is confident Bournemouth can achieve ‘great things’ if they can keep the bulk of their squad together this summer.
Eddie Howe’s men only stepped up into the second tier at the start of the 2013/14 campaign, but ended the season within touching distance of the play-off places and a shot at the Premier League.
Building on that success with a limited budget will be no easy task, with the Sky Bet Championship renowned for being a fiercely competitive division.
There is, however, a feeling at Bournemouth that they can continue to hold their own and take positive strides forward.
Keeping key men will be crucial if they are to remain on the right track, with Lewis Grabban having already left for Norwich City and speculation linking the likes of Steve Cook, Eunan O’Kane and Matt Ritchie with moves up the ladder.
Bournemouth maintain that they are under no pressure to sell, though, and club captain Elphick hopes those attracting attention will realise that they are already part of an ambitious project.
“Our players attracting interest is a good thing, it shows we are doing something right as a team and how far we have come under the guidance of the manager.”
He told the Daily Echo: “Grabbs will be hard to replace, but I don’t think the manager would let him go without an idea of how to fill the void. We have a lot of great strikers and it is a big chance for players to step up and produce.
“It was a great deal for all parties. Grabbs gets to play for another big club and the money might give us the chance to add to what we have.
“Our players attracting interest is a good thing, it shows we are doing something right as a team and how far we have come under the guidance of the manager.
“We have all benefited from the investment and work the club has put into us all, and that’s only going to continue because neither the manager nor the owner wants to stop.
“Everyone wants to make that leap into the Premier League and once players get to the age of 25 or 26, they want to be doing it now.
“Some can get a bit jittery if they are at a club which isn’t moving forward or if they aren’t getting the rewards they deserve, but everyone here is.
“We’re taking a different path to some of the bigger players but if we can just stick it out for another season or two, then I believe we can get there.
“If we can keep the core of this squad together, then I am convinced that great things can be achieved.”
Striker Wes Thomas has signed a two-year contract with Sky Bet Championship side Birmingham City.
Thomas enjoyed a successful loan spell with the Blues towards the end of the 2012-13 season, scoring three goals in 11 appearances of which only five were starts.
The 27-year-old started his career in non-league football before joining Cheltenham in 2010, where he enjoyed his most prolific spell, scoring 18 goals in 41 league appearances.
Since then, Thomas has spent time at Crawley and Bournemouth, from where he went out on loan to Portsmouth and Blackpool before his stint with Birmingham.
Most recently he was with Rotherham, where he was part of the side that secured promotion to the Championship via the League One playoffs.
He scored six goals in appearances for the Millers who will now be among his opponents next season.
Sky Sports understands Birmingham City are in talks to sign MK Dons midfielder Stephen Gleeson.
Gleeson is out of contract at MK Dons this summer and Birmingham are hoping to land him on a free transfer.
The 25-year-old joined the Dons from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009 and has established himself as a star player in Sky Bet League 1.
A number of clubs have been linked with Gleeson, but Birmingham are hoping to win the race for his signature.
Birmingham boss Lee Clark is desperate to bolster his squad after losing a host of players at the end of last season and he sees Gleeson as a key addition to his plans for next season.
QPR goalkeeper Rob Green, defender Clint Hill and midfielder Alejandro Faurlin have all been offered new contracts by the club, Sky Sports News understands.
All three players are out of contract but manager Harry Redknapp is keen to keep the experience the trio offer as his side attempt to establish themselves back in the Premier League.
Former England goalkeeper Green, 34, joined QPR on a free transfer from West Ham and has gone on to make 67 appearances for the club.
Hill, 35, has made 150 appearances for the club he joined from Crystal Palace in 2010 and had indicated an interest in moving into a coaching role.
Faurlin, 27, has been out of action since early November last year after suffering a second anterior cruciate ligament injury against Derby.
The Argentine has played 130 games for QPR since arriving from Instituto in 2009 and played a significant role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2011.
The Rs secured a return to the top flight at the first attempt after beating Derby in the Championship play-off at Wembley last month.
Grant Hall considers a loan move to Birmingham City to be a ‘great opportunity’ that will allow him to take ‘the next step’.
The 22-year-old defender is to spend the 2014/15 campaign at St Andrew’s after being allowed to head out again in pursuit of game time by parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
The youngster is yet to make the breakthrough at White Hart Lane, but impressed last season at League 1 outfit Swindon Town.
Conquering the Championship is the next challenge facing Hall, and he believes he has linked up with the ideal club to aid him in those efforts.
He told the Birmingham Mail: “Definitely, this is a great opportunity for me.
“The move to Swindon was my first loan move to get league football and this is the next step up, Championship football.
“This is a massive club, great history, so I am looking forward to it.
“They have played in the Premier League, won the League Cup, been in the Europa League, it is a massive club.
“I just want to do well for the club, do well for the fans, manager and rest of the players.
“Hopefully I can take my career to the next step, hopefully have a successful season.”
Hall is delighted to have seen a move pushed through early, giving him a full summer in which to settle in new surroundings.
He added: “To get it done early is very good, I can’t wait for the season to start.
“I played the first 35 games at Swindon, then I had a hamstring injury and during the rehab I did that again.
“It was a tough few months for me trying to get fit.
“These things happen to every footballer, you have got to bounce back from them. You have got to work hard and make sure you’re right.”
Grant Hall considers a loan move to Birmingham City to be a ‘great opportunity’ that will allow him to take ‘the next step’.
The 22-year-old defender is to spend the 2014/15 campaign at St Andrew’s after being allowed to head out again in pursuit of game time by parent club Tottenham Hotspur.
The youngster is yet to make the breakthrough at White Hart Lane, but impressed last season at League 1 outfit Swindon Town.
Conquering the Championship is the next challenge facing Hall, and he believes he has linked up with the ideal club to aid him in those efforts.
He told the Birmingham Mail: “Definitely, this is a great opportunity for me.
“The move to Swindon was my first loan move to get league football and this is the next step up, Championship football.
“This is a massive club, great history, so I am looking forward to it.
“They have played in the Premier League, won the League Cup, been in the Europa League, it is a massive club.
“I just want to do well for the club, do well for the fans, manager and rest of the players.
“Hopefully I can take my career to the next step, hopefully have a successful season.”
Hall is delighted to have seen a move pushed through early, giving him a full summer in which to settle in new surroundings.
He added: “To get it done early is very good, I can’t wait for the season to start.
“I played the first 35 games at Swindon, then I had a hamstring injury and during the rehab I did that again.
“It was a tough few months for me trying to get fit.
“These things happen to every footballer, you have got to bounce back from them. You have got to work hard and make sure you’re right.”
Preston North End have confirmed the signing of versatile defender Calum Woods from Huddersfield.
Woods will join the Lilywhites on a free transfer on July 1 when his contract at Huddersfield expires.
The 27-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Simon Grayson’s side and the Preston boss is looking forward to working with Woods again having had him during his time with the Terriers.
“I worked with Calum at Huddersfield and he is a real good lad,” said Grayson.
“He is a versatile player and can play in either full back positions, centre-back and even in midfield if asked to do, so when I saw that he was available, I just felt he was a good acquisition to have in the squad.”
Woods, who came through Liverpool’s academy, moved to Scotland with Dunfermline following a successful trial before signing for Huddersfield on a free transfer in 2011.
During his three years in West Yorkshire, he made 81 appearances for the Terriers.
Hungarian side Diosgyor say they are keen on keeping Marko Futacs at the club after his loan spell from Leicester City last season.
The 24-year-old striker, who was signed from Portsmouth in 2012, has another year remaining on his contract at the King Power Stadium but first-team chances are likely to be limited after Premier League promotion.
Futacs previously had an unsuccessful loan spell at Blackpool in 2013 but enjoyed better fortunes in his homeland last season as he hit nine goals in 22 outings.
Diosgyor sporting director Gabor Arki believes that Futacs would be happy to stay in Hungary, but admits that some budgeting may be required in order to acquire him again next season.
“We need serious extra money to keep him in our team,” he told Borsod Online.
“His future is not only in our hands. Marko said that if there’s a chance then he’d like to stay at Diosgyor.”
Benjamin Buchel expects to sign a new contract with Bournemouth and is ready to push on in a bid for regular football.
The Liechtenstein international has been with the club since 2012 but has yet to break into the first team and has instead spent time out on loan at non-league sides Poole Town and Havant Waterlooville last term.
He has been offered a new contract and is determined to challenge for a place in Eddie Howe’s side, despite facing competition from Lee Camp, Ryan Allsop and potentially Darryl Flahavan – should the ex-Southend man sign a new contract of his own.
Buchel told the Bournemouth Daily Echo: “It looks like everything will be OK for me to stay another year in Bournemouth, so I just need to sign the contract when I’m back in England, but it’s a formality.
“The last two years have been good for me as I have come to a new country and learned about football. Injuries stopped me a little bit but now I think I’m ready for a whole year of improving.
“Because I was injured for a long time, all I want is to stay fit for the whole season, push the other goalkeepers, and if possible, play-first team football.
“But I’m not really thinking about the chances of that. I train hard and I live well and if I get a chance, hopefully I will take it.
“You never know what is going to happen. Maybe I will get a loan move somewhere, but first I want to be in Bournemouth and to push as hard as possible.
“I always played games, not necessarily as a professional because I got into football quite late, but now I hope it’s time to get regular games.”
Buchel accepts that he may be loaned out again next season and has found his time lower down the football pyramid to be beneficial.
He said: “It wasn’t the highest standard but because I was coming back from injury, I was really happy to have played nearly 25 games in three months at Poole and Havant.
“I was just happy to play games and I think it will be the same next season. I won’t stay on the bench or just do the training. If I won’t be near the team, I would love to go out on loan as high as possible.”
Cagliari owner Massimo Cellino has agreed to sell the Serie A club to Italian company Fluorsid.
Cellino, who also owns Leeds United, revealed the latest deal just 24 hours after announcing that the sale of the Sardinian club to an American investment group had fallen through.
Fluorsid is a chemical company based in Cagliari and owned by the Giulini family.
“The Americans were trying to lengthen the negotiations and needed another 90 days,” Cellino said to Sky Italia.
“I have accepted to sell the club to Tommaso Giulini, who was up to last year a member of Inter Milan’s administration council.
“It should all be completed very soon. I wish him all the best.
“Now my heart is with Leeds and all my work and energy is for Leeds.”
Reports in Italy claim Cellino has accepted an offer of 45million euros, a figure that is much less than the 80million euros that had reportedly been agreed with the unnamed American group.
Cellino purchased Cagliari in 1992 and had been looking to sell the Sardinia-based outfit since acquiring a 75 per cent stake in Leeds earlier this year.
Cagliari finished 15th in the Serie A standings, seven points clear of the drop zone.
Sky sources understand that Shwan Jalal will join Bury on a free transfer.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper will leave Bournemouth when his current contract runs out at the end of the month and will sign a two-year deal with the League Two club.
Jalal joined the Cherries on a permanent contract in August 2008 and went on to make 171 appearances for them, featuring in their promotion from League One and League Two.
However, Jalal failed to play any games for the Championship club since March 2013 and it was confirmed last month that he will leave the Goldsands Stadium for good.
The former Peterborough United goalkeeper will now move to Bury and is expected to sign a contract in the coming days.
Former Charlton boss Jose Riga is set to be confirmed as the new Blackpool manager on a one-year rolling contract.
The 56-year-old Belgian, who left Charlton when his contract expired at the end of the season, will sign the deal at the weekend.
Riga had only been in charge at The Valley since March but managed to save the club from relegation from the Championship with three wins in their final four games.
Blackpool have been without a manager since Barry Ferguson left his role as caretaker-boss, which he took on following Paul Ince’s departure in January, at the end of the season.
Seasiders chairman Karl Oyston has been speaking to a number of candidates for the job.
Billy Davies, Brian McDermott, Brian Flynn, Paul Hart, Ricardo Moniz, Paul Cox and Jackie McNamara had all been linked with the position in recent weeks.
Sky sources understand that Sami Hyypia is in talks with Championship side Brighton over their vacant managerial role.
The Seagulls have been without a boss since Spaniard Oscar Garcia resigned at the end of the season, despite leading the club into the play-offs in his first season at the AMEX Stadium.
40-year-old Hyypia, renowned in England for his time spent with Liverpool, is currently out of work after being sacked by Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year after 18 months in charge of the club.
Hyypia has long been linked with a return to the English game, and now he could be set to take on his next managerial role in the Championship.
Brighton have been assessing their options since Garcia left, but have now opened talks with the hope of persuading Hyypia to take on the challenge of getting them to the Premier League.
He has also been linked with the vacant Premier League roles at Southampton and West Brom.
Sky Sports understands Watford are eyeing a move for Ecuador defender Juan Carlos Paredes.
Full-back Paredes is currently plying his trade in his native Ecuador with Barcelona SC Guayaquil and he has impressed for club and country over the last 12 months.
A number of clubs across Europe are thought to be tracking Paredes, but Watford are hoping to lure him to England.
The 26-year-old is set to feature for Ecuador at this month’s World Cup finals in Brazil and he is expected to play against England in their friendly in Miami this week.
Watford boss Beppe Sannino has been busy in the transfer market this summer bringing in Gabriel Tamas and Heurelho Gomes already and he could now make a move for Paredes.
