Everton to sign Short for pounds 2.7m

Football

Everton's lack of success in the transfer market since carrying off the FA Cup in May should end today with the completion, finally, of Craig Short's purchase from Derby in a deal worth pounds 2.7m - providing he can agree personal terms with the manager, Joe Royle.

Everton had a bid for the player rejected earlier this year. But a clause in his contract allowed the 27-year-old to leave during the summer if a Premiership club matched the pounds 2.65m Derby paid Notts County for the player in 1992. Everton's bid of pounds 2.4m plus utility player, Gary Rowett, met the midlands club's requirements.

Short's departure could soon be followed by that of Wales midfielder Mark Pembridge, who looks likely to join his former Luton manager, David Pleat, at Sheffield Wednesday.

Pleat, however, has failed in his attempt to persuade Roland Nilsson to return to Hillsborough. The Swede, who left because his wife was homesick, will remain on loan to Helsingborg. Mark Bright, who has had talks with West Ham, is poised to sign a new two-year contract for Wednesday today.

Aston Villa completed the signing of Savo Milosevic for a club record pounds 3.5m from Partizan Belgrade with the promise from Brian Little that he expects the 21-year-old striker to "score a lot of goals for us". The Villa manager said the new season would see a changed style, not placing the onus on a solitary striker.

Former Serie A rivals, David Platt and Dennis Bergkamp, travelled in together for their first day's training yesterday at Arsenal. The Gunners' pounds 12.25m duo, billetted in the same hotel, have vowed to transform Arsenal into one of the Premiership's more entertaining sides.

Commenting on Arsenal's "boring" tag, Bergkamp said: "There are always stories like this. It was said Inter played too defensively and there are always stories Arsenal didn't buy much - but this year they have bought two players. We'll do everything we can to play nice football and, most of all, to win some prizes." Meanwhile in Italy, Fiorentina's new signing from Arsenal, Stefan Schwarz, was remarking after his first day's training that the Italian league was the "most professional" he had known.

Chelsea's star summer signings, Ruud Gullit and Mark Hughes, will make their first appearances for the club in a friendly at Third Division Gillingham next Tuesday.

Wimbledon and Queens Park Rangers have been called up by the Association to explain last season's poor disciplinary record. They will be joined by Endsleigh League trio, Chester, Burnley and Fulham.

The Rangers manager, Walter Smith, has told his injury-troubled striker, Ally McCoist, now suffering from a gashed knee, that he wants him for the European Cup preliminary round tie against Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus on 9 August. Stuart McCall's return to training has been "interrupted" by a foot injury, Smith said.

Internazionale claim they are poised to sign the Brazilian, Roberto Carlos. Sampdoria have paid Roma pounds 2m for the former Red Star Belgrade midfielder, Sinisa Mihajlovic.