Betis near £16m deal for City midfielder Zinchenko

REAL BETIS want to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko on loan but Manchester City are pushing for a permanent deal worth upwards of £16million. The La Liga club are interested in landing the midfielder, who impressed as a deputy left back last season, and are hoping to secure a temporary switch.

FULHAM boss Slavisa Jokanovic says negotiations to extend his contract are out of his hands, insisting he wants to focus on getting his side’s first points of the season. He said: ‘This kind of situation is in the hands of different people. I’m focused only about the Premier League and competition and I am fully motivated to be successful.’

BLACKBURN have signed free agent Jack Rodwell on a year-long contract after he left Sunderland this summer.

VAR will be in use in the Carabao Cup next week. The games on August 28 which will have the technology available are: Brighton v Southampton, Fulham v Exeter and Leicester v Fleetwood.

THE austerity at Charlton Athletic has reached new depths as it emerged that an employee had to ask permission to eat crisps at their desk. Staff have been told to eat lunch away from desks as part of cuts to the working hours of cleaners.

EVERTON’S Mo Besic has returned to Middlesbrough on loan. The midfielder played 15 times for Boro as they got to last season’s play-off semis.