SOCCER LINES

® NEWCASTLE have completed the signing of Christian Atsu on a permanent deal from Chelsea for £6.2m after his successful loan spell. ° REAL MADRID are set to sign 16-yearold Vinicius Junior for £38.7m from Brazilian club Flamengo. ®Ê FORMER Manchester United and Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes has been released by Middlesbrough. ° BARCELONA are ready to appoint Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde as their new manager following Luis Enrique’s departure. ®Ê EX-ENGLAND boss Roy Hodgson is on the shortlist to replace Sam Allardyce at Crystal Palace. ° BRENTFORD have signed Scunthorpe keeper Luke Daniels on a free transfer. ®Ê EVERTON are preparing another bid for QPR’s Josh Bowler after their first bid of £3m was rejected. ° LEEDS midfielder Ronaldo Vieira has signed a new four-year contract. ®Ê EINTRACHT FRANKFURT have suspended on-loan Manchester United defender Guillermo Varela after a tattoo he had done against orders became inflamed, ruling him out of Saturday’s German Cup Final.