Arsenal Confirm £15million Deal For Oxlade-Chamberlain

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has sealed his dream switch to Arsenal for £15million, according to the Southampton club's website.

Southampton had initially been reluctant to sell their most prized asset, but after the midfielder made it clear he wanted to move to the Emirates Stadium, they accepted an offer which breaks the previous record for their highest transfer income.

The transfer is still subject to Premier League and FA approval.

Arsene Wenger will now concentrate on bringing in a centre back after Thomas Vermaelen was injured at the weekend.

John Carew Moves To West Ham United On Free Transfer

Former Aston Villa striker John Carew has joined Championship side West Ham United on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old, 6ft 5in Norwegian striker, who scored twice in 13 games on loan at Stoke last term, became a free agent after being freed by Villa.

"I am very happy to sign for such a big club," he told the West Ham website.

"I am so pleased to be here and am looking forward to being part of a good team here that will bring this great club back up to the Premier League."

Carew's registration was not completed in time for him to play in West Ham's opening Championship match against Cardiff on Sunday.

The powerful forward, who has been given the number 11 shirt at Upton Park, passed a medical before he was confirmed as West Ham's fifth signing of the summer.

He has scored 23 goals in 88 appearances for the Norwegian national side, and netted 52 goals in 133 matches for Villa.

His strike-rate in the FA Cup was particularly impressive, as he scored 11 times in 10 games.

Carew joined Villa from Lyon in 2007 and was a key member of their side under former manager Martin O'Neill.

But injury has prevented the striker from making an impact last season while his relationship with O'Neill's successor Gerard Houllier was strained, with the pair arguing in the press in 2010.

Alberto Gilardino Set For £10.4m Switch To Genoa

Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino has turned down interest from Marseille and is on the verge of joining Genoa, a source close to the situation has told Goal.com.

Last week the player's agent confirmed that the Ligue 1 outfit was in negotiations for the 2006 World Cup winner. However, the French side has now lost out on the 29-year-old to Genoa, for a fee believed to be in the region of €12 million (£10.4m) plus bonuses.

The likely move will see Gilardino link up with his former Fiorentina team-mate Sebastien Frey, who made the switch to Genoa last week.

Gilardino has made 47 appearances for Italy, scoring 17 goals while representing his country at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

He has scored 56 goals in 130 appearances for Fiorentina since joining the club in 2008.

Real Madrid Snap Up Seven-Year-Old Argentine

Real Madrid has signed seven-year-old Leonel Angel Coira from Argentina.

The Spanish club’s spokesman Juan Tapiador confirmed the move on Monday and added that the youngster would begin training on September 6.

Atletico Madrid were also reportedly interested in Leo but their city rivals made the first move in an effort to stave off challenges from other European heavyweights in the future.

The youngster admitted that Barcelona star Lionel Messi was his favourite player but added that Real Madrid is his preferred club.

"Lionel Messi is my idol, but my dream is to play in the Real Madrid first team," he told Ole. "I will start training there on September 6."

Leo’s father was delighted with the move and was quoted by ESPNSoccernet as saying: "It looks good when I say it because I'm the father, but I'm excited to see how he plays with the ball."

Kharja Set For Fiorentina

Genoa midfielder Houssine Kharja is on the verge of completing a move to Serie A rivals Fiorentina.

The Moroccan has been paired with the Stadio Artemio Franchi outfit over the last few weeks after he was told to find a new club.

Kharja, according to reports, will join the Viola on a co-ownership deal that will see Genoa net €3m for him.

The former Siena midfielder only returned to Marassi this summer after spending the last six months of the previous campaign at Inter.

Kharja joined the Nerazzurri on loan in January, but the club opted against signing him outright at the end of the 2010-11 campaign.

Tottenham Turn Attention To FC Twente Striker

Tottenham have made a move for FC Twente striker Bryan Ruiz.

Ruiz has impressed in Holland, scoring 33 goals in 61 Eredivisie games, alerting Redknapp to his possible availability.

The Costa Rican striker, signed by Steve McLaren in 2009, is aware of Spurs' interest and is keen to test himself in the Premier League.

The Spurs boss was there to see Ruiz play for FC Twente in the 1-0 league win away to NAC Breda on Sunday.

And Ruiz admitted: "They have approached my agent. I was told about Tottenham's interest two days ago. Spurs are a great club. I'd say that the chance that I'll leave Twente is 50%."

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is keen to freshen up his strike force this season, having seen Jermain Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch score just 17 Premier League goals between them last season.

He looks likely to lose out on Emmanuel Adebayor to Real Madrid, while a move for Edin Dzeko failed due to his wage demands, and Redknapp has now turned his attentions to Ruiz.

Chelsea Linked To Surprise Move For Ligue 1 Playmaker

Chelsea is weighing up a potential bid for Marseille's Lucho Gonzalez.

The Argentina international celebrated his 30th birthday in January and with the emphasis seemingly being on lowering the average age of the squad at Stamford Bridge, a move to the London club would certainly be a surprise. However, he is available having requested a transfer from the Stade Velodrome after the player and his family were the victims of a 'home-jacking' in March in which armed raiders attacked them at their property and robbed them.

The club has agreed to his demands under the difficult circumstances and he has been looking for new employers though so far to no avail. Chelsea is seeking to fill a creative void and have been linked to both Wesley Sneijder and Javier Pastore in this transfer window. But with the former likely to go to Manchester United and the latter already at PSG, Lucho is a more viable - and cheaper - option.

Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas has also received favourable reports on the player from officials at former club FC Porto where Lucho spent four years between 2005 and 2009. Though the pair's time in Portugal did not overlap, the schemer's efforts at the Estadio Dragao left a lasting impression.

Atletico Madrid Offer Cash Plus Eduardo Salvio for Radamel Falcao

Atletico Madrid has put together an offer of €25 million plus Eduardo Salvio for Porto striker Radamel Falcao, according to news daily AS.

The Colombian international has been a target of Atletico in recent weeks as the Spanish club look for a successor to Sergio Aguero, who left for Manchester City earlier in the summer.

Falcao has been linked with the exit door at Porto after a season in which he scored 38 goals in all competitions, including 18 in the Europa League, a new record in the competition.

The striker recently signed a two-year contract extension which saw his release clause increased from €30 million to €45m, but AS claims that Porto president Pinto da Costa promised that the player would be sold if an offer which matches his buy-out clause came in.

Salvio's stock in Portugal is very high after the winger impressed while on loan at Benfica last season. However, the Argentine has returned to Atletico without a guaranteed first-team role, meaning the player could move on as a result.

However, Atletico will have to convince Salvio to be included in the deal, as the player stated on Friday he did not want to be used as makeweight in negotiations for Falcao.

Bayer Leverkusen Reveal Interest In Stuttgart's Bernd Leno

Bayer Leverkusen has expressed their desire to bring young Stuttgart goalkeeper Bernd Leno to the club as a short-term replacement for Rene Adler.

German international goalkeeper Adler is a long-term injury casualty with a knee injury and is unlikely to return until the second half of the season. With deputies Fabian Giefer and David Yelldell far from convincing, the club has turned their attentions to the 19-year-old.

"We are looking at Leno," Leverkusen president Wolfgang Holzhauser told Sky Deutschland. "Whether we bring him in depends also on Stuttgart."

Giefer was at fault for Mainz's first goal as last season's runners-up went down to a 2-0 opening round defeat at the Coface Arena. He then suffered a concussion towards the end of the game following a collision with Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and was taken to hospital.

Holzhauser outlined the profile of the shot-stopper the club are looking for and ruled out a move for Jens Lehmann, who had been close to joining Bayer's Bundesliga rivals Schalke earlier in the summer.

"[The new goalkeeper] should be stronger than the other two but not a direct competitor for Rene Adler. We have not spoken at all about Jens Lehmann."

Man City Eye Shock £15m Swoop For Tottenham flyer

Manchester City is eyeing a shock move for Tottenhams England winger Aaron Lennon.

City chief Roberto Mancini wants a wide man before the start of the season and has earmarked Lennon as his number one candidate.

According to previous reports, the former Leeds man was set to be part of a swap deal that would see City misfit Emmanuel Adebayor move to White Hart Lane.

But a straight £15m switch is looking more likely, after the Togoleses high wages proved a stumbling block in agreeing a move.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has made Lennon available after a hit-and-miss season with the Lilywhites.

Redknapp has been told by chairman Daniel Levy he will need to sell before he can buy this summer and Lennon looks set to be the first high-profile casualty of the White Hart Lane overhaul.

Mancini has admitted he wants a winger to open up defences and Lennon’s pace and ability to beat defenders would offer the Blues something different in attack.

City is still keen on Arsenals Samir Nasri with Mancini planning to deploy him in a more predominant central midfield role.

The Eastlands club's lack of flair in forward areas was all too apparent in Sunday's shocking 2-3 defeat to bitter rivals Manchester United, and Mancini wants the signings of Lennon and Nasri to provide a creative spark in attack.

German Bundesliga Review

Bayern Munich lost on the opening day of the Bundesliga season for the first time since 2001 as they went down 1-0 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Gladbach, who beat Bayern by the same scoreline in the first game 10 years ago, repeated history to spoil Jupp Heynckes' third debut in charge of the Bavarians.

It proved to be an even worse bow for Bayern's new number one Manuel Neuer as his glaring error allowed Igor de Camargo to score the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute.

In Sunday's other game, defensive failings cost Bayer Leverkusen as they opened their Bundesliga season with a 2-0 defeat to Mainz.

Goalkeeper Fabian Giefer's poor clearance allowed Sami Allagui to open the scoring before half-time and Omer Toprak's late own goal ensured there would be no way back.

Thomas Tuchel's side suffered a shock Europa League elimination on penalties against Gaz Metan in the third qualifying round, and they will be pleased to have bounced back to form at the new Coface Arena.

On Saturday, Stuttgart baptised their newly-renovated Mercedes-Benz Arena in style with a 3-0 win over Schalke.

Cacau, Martin Harnik and Shinji Okazaki were on target for Bruno Labbadia's side as they made light work of the Royal Blues, whose defence failed to impress.

Stuttgart could even have won more comfortably but missed numerous chances to punish their opponents' defensive shortcomings.

Patrick Helmes struck twice as Wolfsburg downed 10-man Cologne 3-0 to make a flying start to the new season having narrowly avoided relegation last term.

Helmes put the Wolves ahead in the 17th minute and then doubled his account late on as Felix Magath's side added two more goals in the final five minutes, Marcel Schafer the other man on the scoresheet after netting direct from a corner.

A second-half brace from Markus Rosenberg helped Werder Bremen to an opening-day 2-0 win over Kaiserslautern.

There had been little in the game until the Swede struck his first on the hour mark, with a second nine minutes from time wrapping things up.

Kaiserslautern could have few complaints about the result either, creating just two chances in a largely drab performance at Westerstadion.

Hannover enjoyed a winning start after downing Hoffenheim 2-1 at the Niedersachsen Stadion.

All three goals came in the opening 30 minutes with Jan Schlaudraff putting Hannover ahead, Sejad Salihovic equalising from the spot for Hoffenheim, and then Mohammed Abdellaoue netting the winner with another penalty.

Hannover finished fourth last term to qualify for the Europa League and they looked keen to prove that was not a one-season wonder as they started on a winning note.

Sascha Molders' second-half double ensured Augsburg were not beaten in their first ever Bundesliga match as they drew 2-2 with Freiburg.

Molders twice dragged the newcomers back after falling behind to goals from Papis Demba Cisse and Cedric Makiadi after the interval.

Cisse picked up where he left off from last season, when he top-scored with 22 goals, to fire Freiburg ahead on 48 minutes.

Molders' first equalizer arrived on 57 minutes, and while the celebrations were cut short when Makiadi sent the visitors back ahead almost immediately, he struck again nine minutes from the end to snatch a point.

Hertha Berlin's return to the Bundesliga ended in disappointment as Tomas Pekhart's 80th-minute goal earned Nurnberg a 1-0 win.

The visitors were good value for the victory, creating most of the chances in front of a crowd of 61,118 at the Olympic Stadium.

On Friday night, Borussia Dortmund made it clear that they will not give up their Bundesliga title easily with an emphatic 3-1 win over Hamburg in the opening top-flight fixture of the season.

The Westphalians dominated the game almost at will and could have won more comfortably against a woeful Hamburg side, who nevertheless managed a late consolation.

A Kevin Grosskreutz brace and a goal from the livewire Mario Gotze had already put the result beyond doubt, however, and gave the defending champions a perfect start to the season in front of a full house of over 80,000 at the Westfalenstadion.

Dutch League Review

Miralem Sulejmani scored twice as Ajax began the defence of their Eredivisie crown with an impressive 4-1 win at De Graafschap.

Frank De Boer's side had to come from behind after Ted Van De Pavert's early opener but Sulejmani scored either side of Derk Boerrigter's goal and Theo Janssen rounded off the win with a fourth.

Elsewhere, Jozy Altidore scored on his Eredivisie debut as as AZ Alkmaar opened their campaign with an impressive 3-1 win at home to PSV Eindhoven.

The United States striker, signed from Villarreal in the summer, came off the bench to seal the victory in the 80th minute.

Goals from Maarten Martens and Nick Viergever had put AZ two up, but Dries Mertens pulled one back on the stroke of half-time. Altidore came on in the 65th minute to restore the hosts' two-goal cushion and even though they had Niklas Moisander sent off late on PSV never looked like coming back into it.

Marc Janko's first-half penalty was the difference between the sides as FC Twente got their Eredivisie campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory at NAC Breda.

The Austria striker slotted home in the 29th minute at the Rat Verlegh Stadion after Peter Wisgerhof had been fouled by Jordy Buijs.

The win continued a fine start to new Twente coach Co Adriaanse's reign after his side edged Ajax 2-1 last weekend in the Johan Cruyff Shield - with Janko again on target from the spot.

ADO Den Haag and Vitesse Arnhem played out a drab opening-weekend encounter in the Eredivisie, with neither side able to break the deadlock.

There were chances at the Kyocera Stadion, but whether it was early-season rustiness or a sign of things to come, there was little quality on offer.

On Saturday, Roda JC came from behind to claim a home win over FC Groningen in their opening match of the season.

The Kerkrade club trailed to a Leandro Bacuna penalty, as Groningen tried to banish thoughts of their shoot-out defeat to ADO Den Haag in a Europa League play-off at the end of last season. Ruud Vormer was sent off for a professional foul in giving away the penalty.

However, Roda roared back thanks to Mark-Jan Fledderus' free-kick 14 minutes from time and Sanharib Malki earned them all three points when he slotted home from Mads Junker's pass two minutes from time.

NEC Nijmegen scored twice in the final seven minutes to grab a 2-2 draw away to 10-man Heerenveen.

Heerenveen had looked on course for a comfortable opening-day win when Luciano Narsingh's 70th-minute strike, after Oussama Assaidi's opener, fired them 2-0 ahead.

But the hosts threw away victory in a breathless end to the match.

Bram Nuytinck pulled a goal back on 83 minutes and, after Viktor Elm was shown a straight red card for a horror tackle, Stef Nijland stole a share of the points in the closing stages.

Newly-promoted RKC Waalwijk staged an even later recovery, striking twice in the final five minutes to seal a 2-2 draw at home to Heracles Almelo.

Heracles led through Everton in the 32nd minute and the three points looked all-but certain when Glynor Plet's deflected strike found the net 10 minutes from time.

However, RKC were given a chance to get back into the game when Antoine van der Linden tripped Ricky ten Voorde in the box, conceding a penalty which Robert Braber converted.

Van der Linden was sent off for the foul, and the 10 men of Heracles could not hold on as Ten Voorde levelled at the death.

VVV Venlo and FC Utrecht played out a goalless draw in the day's late kick-off. The home side finished the game with 10 men as substitute Rogier Molhoek was sent off with 10 minutes to go.

On Friday night, Guyon Fernandez marked his Feyenoord debut with a goal to pave the way for a 2-0 victory over his former club Excelsior.

Fernandez made the move across Rotterdam in the summer and his impact was immediate as he fired in the game's opener after 56 minutes.

A Leen van Steensel own goal followed on 71 minutes to seal a derby win for Ronald Koeman in his first competitive game as Feyenoord boss.

French League Review

Francis Gillot's reign as Bordeaux coach got off to a losing start on Sunday night as Les Girondins went down 2-1 at home to St Etienne in their Ligue 1 opener.

The 2009 champions were on the back foot early on and were 2-0 down at half-time thanks to Michael Ciani's own goal and a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike.

Jussie halved the deficit from the penalty spot 11 minutes after the interval but Bordeaux could not force an equaliser.

Elsewhere, newly-promoted Dijon were given a harsh lesson in what lies in store as Rennes romped to a 5-1 win at the Stade Gaston Gerard.

Victor Montano and Julian Feret put the visitors 2-0 up after the latter had missed an earlier penalty.

Brice Jovial halved the deficit before half-time, but Abdoulrazak Boukari soon restored the two-goal cushion and, after Dijon's Gregory Thil also failed from the spot, Kader Mangane and Alexander Tettey completed the rout.

On Saturday, Paris St Germain's recent spending spree failed to produce an immediate return as the Ligue 1 title favourites suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat at home to Lorient.

A takeover of the club by Qatar Sports Investments has brought a huge injection of cash and signalled the arrival of eight new players so far in the transfer window.

Yet Antoine Kombouare's side got off to the worst possible start as Julien Quercia's 28th-minute strike condemned them to an embarrassing loss.

Lyon claimed top spot on the opening day with a solid 3-1 win at Nice.

The visitors fell behind to an Anthony Mounier goal on six minutes, but quickly levelled through Lisandro Lopez (10). Bafetimbi Gomis (33) got Lyon in front before the break and Maxime Gonalons secured the win 16 minutes from time.

Lyon are joined at the head of the standings by Montpellier, who also kicked off with a 3-1 win. Their performance against Auxerre was far from convincing, though, with the visitors enjoying the bulk of the chances.

Younes Belhanda opener for the hosts on 36 minutes was cancelled out by Alain Traore on the stroke of the interval, but goals inside the final 15 minutes by Geoffrey Dernis and Olivier Giroud gave Montpellier their first win over Auxerre since returning to the top flight in 2009.

Champions Lille were held to a 1-1 draw by Nancy.

Rudi Garcia's team, who finished eight points clear at the top of the table last season, looked like making a winning start when Mathieu Debuchy netted after 46 minutes.

Franck Beria's 61st-minute own goal rescued a point for the home side, who had Pascal Berenguer dismissed in the closing stages for a reckless challenge.

Loic Remy salvaged a point for Marseille in a 2-2 draw with Sochaux at Stade Velodrome.

Didier Deschamps' team led through Lucho Gonzalez's 38th-minute effort - but goals from Marvin Martin (59) and Vincent Nogueira (71) threatened an upset until Remy struck 15 minutes from time.

League newcomers Evian let slip a two-goal lead as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 away to Brest.

Evian got off to a dream start when skipper Oliver Sorlin and Ali M'Madi netted inside the opening 20 minutes. But Brest hit back with goals from Bruno Grougi and Benoit Lesoimier before half-time.

Having stayed in Ligue 1 on the final day of last season, Caen gave a suggestion they could do better this time around as they opened up with a 1-0 win over Valenciennes.

Gregory Promen scored the only goal of the game on 34 minutes, and it was an early contender for goal of the season, the midfielder taking aim from 30 yards and finding the top corner.

Ajaccio's first game back in Ligue 1 after five seasons in the second tier ended in a 2-0 reverse to Toulouse, Antoine Devaux (45) and Paulo Machado (74) with the goals either side of the interval.

Manchester City 2 - 3 Manchester United

Nani's injury-time goal settled a wonderful Community Shield as Manchester United roared back from two goals down.

The Portugal winger had already netted with a jaw-dropping leveller in what turned out to be the highest-scoring of these encounters since 1992.

He then capitalized on Vincent Kompany's blunder to win a game that seemed City's for the taking after Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko had taken advantage of David de Gea's hesitancy.

But Sir Alex Ferguson's introduction of three younger members of his squad at the break triggered a comeback for which United are so famed, Chris Smalling setting the ball rolling six minutes after the restart, triggering a richly-deserved victory charge for the Premier League champions.

It had been some 24 hours for Danny Welbeck.

Selected for England ahead of Jermain Defoe on the eve of the game, he started at Wembley whilst Dimitar Berbatov was on the bench and Michael Owen remained in his suit. The 20-year-old was part of a scintillating performance from the Red Devils that lacked only an opening goal.

Between them, Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Nani and new signing Ashley Young cut City's midfield apart. Had United's final ball been better, they surely would have got their noses in front.

As it was, Lescott got in the way of efforts from Young, Smalling and Welbeck and Rooney curled a free-kick narrowly wide.

City's tackling grew increasingly desperate and after Mario Balotelli and Dzeko had got themselves embroiled with Nemanja Vidic and Anderson respectively, Micah Richards was perhaps fortunate to stay on the field for a studs-first lunge on Young that sent the former Aston Villa winger flying.

Referee Phil Dowd felt the need to issue some strict instructions to Blues skipper Kompany after another shuddering lunge from Nigel de Jong, this time on Welbeck.

How quickly circumstances can change.

Ferguson has already admitted to taking a gamble on De Gea, who - at just 20 - is being asked to fill the boots of a man with twice his age in Edwin van der Sar.

It had been accepted by Old Trafford's coaching staff that some work was required in the weights room for De Gea to have the best chance of dealing with the more physical nature of English football.

His lack of bulk may be the reason why he opted against coming for Silva's teasing free-kick seven minutes before the break. Neither Vidic nor Rio Ferdinand got themselves in position to make a challenge and Lescott calmly flicked it into the corner.

It got even worse for United, and De Gea, in stoppage time.

Dzeko was given far too much room in midfield to decide what to do with James Milner's square pass and after advancing 10 yards, lashed a fine shot into the United net.

It was one of those that, on first viewing, appeared to be De Gea's fault. Replays showed there had been some movement as the ball flashed in, which made life harder for the Spain Under-21 international.

However, there was a degree of culpability and clearly De Gea is on a steep learning curve, not just in his goalkeeping but also United's DNA.

Ferguson's response was to replace three of his most senior players - Vidic, Ferdinand and Michael Carrick - at the break and introduce a trio of youngsters in Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Tom Cleverley.

Within six minutes of the restart, Smalling had dragged the champions back into it, touching home Young's free-kick after Dzeko had completely failed to track his run.

Then came the equalizer, with Rooney, Nani and Cleverley opening City up with a devastating series of short passes before Nani beat Joe Hart with a delicate chip.

De Gea showed his raw talent by beating away a ferocious goalbound effort from Adam Johnson, then palming Richards' powerful header over.

The City duo were two of 14 Englishmen involved. The oldest member of United's second-half side was Young, at 26, during a spell following the departure of Patrice Evra and Dimitar Berbatov's introduction.

It was a taste of the future, with Cleverley in particular electrifying until he hooked an excellent chance over from eight yards.

The pity was it took a blunder to win it, Kompany failing to read Rooney's clearing punt, allowing Nani to rob him and charge forward, rounding Hart before tapping home.

Barcelona Tops Club America 2-0

David Villa scored on a header midway through the first half and Barcelona lived up to its reputation as the top club team in the world, beating Mexico's Club America 2-0 Saturday in the final game of the Spanish team's American tour.

The win at Cowboys Stadium was the first for Barcelona in three tries in the World Football Challenge, an exhibition tournament featuring top club teams from European leagues, Major League Soccer and Mexico's first division.

Barcelona lost 2-1 last week to Manchester United and 4-1 Wednesday to Chivas of Guadalajara.

"We played similar (against Chivas), but because we lost, we were terrible," Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said. "Now, because we won, we were awesome. Today we played with much confidence, much better."

The club's first official match of the season is next Sunday against Real Madrid in the first leg of the Spanish Supercopa.

Barcelona was without several top players, including forward Lionel Messi, who was on vacation following the recent Copa America tournament. The absence of those stars was felt in the team's first two matches, including the shocking loss to Chivas in Miami.

"The guys suffered a lot in the humidity," Guardiola said, referring to the loss in Miami. "With the air conditioning here, it was much, much better."

Villa scored in the 24th minute. Adriano Correia sped past America defender Oscar Rojas and his short cross found Villa unmarked just outside the 6-yard box for an easy header.

It was a long night for Rojas, who repeatedly left Villa free for scoring chances. Rojas eventually was replaced at left back by Edgar Castillo, a New Mexico native who will dress for the U.S. national team Wednesday in a friendly against Mexico.

Seydou Keita added a goal in the 90th minute, finishing off an individual effort from Gerard Deulofeu, a reserve forward. Deulofeu maintained possession along the end line, muscling the ball past a defender and the goalkeeper for a short centering pass to Keita, who was just a few feet in front of the goal.

America was shut out in all three of its games. Christian Benitez had two dangerous chances in the final minutes, including a left footer in the 86th minute that went just wide. Castillo also made a late run into Barcelona's box, but his crossing attempt was smothered by a defender.

The game opened up after Villa's first-half goal, with both teams trading scoring opportunities over the next few minutes. Consecutive one-touch passes from Vicente Sanchez to Benitez to Juan Carlos Medina forced Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes into a diving save.

Minutes later, Andres Iniesta slipped a pass through to Villa, who found himself one-on-one with Club America keeper Armando Navarrete. The keeper came off his line and smothered the play before Villa could get off a shot.

Barcelona, however, dominated first-half play, outshooting America 10-1. "It was a good first half," Guardiola said.

The one-goal advantage allowed Guardiola to sit Xavi Hernandez for the entire second half. Iniesta and Villa eventually ended up on the sidelines as well.

Roma Confirm Lamela Deal

Roma have announced the official details of the Erik Lamela transfer, which is worth €17.06m (£14.8m).

River Plate president Daniel Passarella confirmed Lamela's exit last month, with the highly-rated teenager thought to have moved for around €20m (£17.7m).

The Giallorossi have now announced the signing, with the Serie A outfit due to pay €12m in three instalments by July 15, 2012, with another €5.06m in add-ons if various targets and number of games are met.

The 19-year-old midfielder, who reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool, Tottenham and Barcelona, has penned a five-year deal with the Serie A side.

Chelsea On Red Alert After Danish Starlet Rejects Man City

Chelsea could reignite their interest in Ajax starlet Christian Eriksen having seen Manchester Citys attempts to sigh the attacking-midfielder fail.

City were unsuccessful their £20million move for the Danish teenager Eriksen after he feared he would not play regularly at Eastlands

And while the 19-year-old midfielder may not play week in week out at Stamford Bridge, Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas is confident that he can convince the Denmark international to make the move to London.

Villas-Boas is keen to strengthen his midfield options this summer, particularly with Michael Essien set for a lengthy spell

The situation has become a big concern for Villas-Boas, with Tottenham playing hard-ball over the sale of Luka Modric and PSG winning the race for Javier Pastore.

The Portuguese tactician, who is renowned for his man-management skills, believes a persuasive rhetoric with Eriksen about improving his game significantly at Stamford Bridge, could be enough to seal a deal.

Eriksen, who even visited Manchester ahead of a proposed move to City, was man-of-the match when England beat Denmark in Copenhagen last February.

But the midfielder’s agent Martin Schoots said: "Christian was very flattered by the interest from City, but at the moment it is not the step he wants to make.

"The feeling has to be right. Its not about the money."

Porto Join AC Milan In Race For Santos' Ganso

Brazil international Ganso could be on his way out of Santos in the near future as Portuguese champions Porto have shown an interest in signing the attacking midfielder, IG reports.

Porto are looking to add a creative midfielder to their squad as they aim to make an impact in the Champions League this term after winning the Europa League last season, and they allegedly see Ganso as the perfect signing.

The 21-year-old midfielder has a contract with Santos until February 2015, but club president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro recently declared that the club will not stop Ganso from making a switch to Europe.

"He has already told me he wants to stay at Santos to play in the Club World Cup at the end of the year. But if he wants to leave Santos, we will not have any objections to that. We have to respect the player's wish. He has his dreams, his ambitions," Ribeiro said to Lancenet.

It's unlikely that Ganso will opt to leave Santos this summer as he's eager to take part in the Club World Cup in December, but the playmaker could very well decide to move to Europe in the January transfer window.

Ganso has also been linked with clubs such as Anzhi Makhachkala and AC Milan, but the presence of compatriot Hulk and former team-mates such as Danilo and Alex Sandro could push him towards the Portuguese champions.

Inter Close In On Genoa's Juraj Kucka

Negotiations between Inter and Genoa for the transfer of Juraj Kucka to San Siro are progressing well, according to Sky Sport 24.

The 24-year-old has only been at Genoa since January, but has caught the eye with a number of impressive midfield performances for the Luigi Ferraris outfit, leading to the interest of the Milanese outfit.

It is reported that a deal for the Slovakia international is close, in which Gian Piero Gasperini's side will obtain half of the player's ownership rights, but he will remain in Liguria for another season.

In addition, Genoa is also hoping to thrash a deal out for Inter's Goran Pandev, in what would be a separate transfer.

Inter lost 2-1 in their Supercoppa clash with AC Milan on Saturday, with reinforcements now on the agenda ahead of the new Serie A campaign.

Arsenal Set To Win Race For Southampton Starlet

Arsenal look set to win the race to sign highly-rated Southampton teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The winger who will be 18 on Monday week has emerged as one of the most exciting prospects in the country and has been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.

But it appears Arsenal have stolen a march on their rivals and are set to tie up a £12m deal for the attacking-midfielder in the coming week.

The initial down payment will be around £7 million and the fee will rise according to appearances.

And Oxlade-Chamberlain will not be loaned back to Southampton for the season as Wenger wants to include him in his first team plans, most particularly in the Carling Cup.

The next decision for Wenger concerns a centre-back, with the North London club linked with Phil Jagielka of Everton, Christopher Samba of Blackburn and Gary Cahill of Bolton.

The stumbling block concerning Jagielka is the £18m asking price for a player who will be 29 this month.

Wenger is thought to favour a move for Samba, with Tottenham also interested in the Congo international.