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Transfer news: Michael McGovern signs for Norwich on free transfer

Michael McGovern makes a save against Germany at Euro 2016
Michael McGovern makes a save against Germany at Euro 2016

Norwich have signed Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Michael McGovern on a free transfer.

McGovern, 32, whose contract at Scottish Premiership side Hamilton expired earlier this summer, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal to link up again with former Accies boss Alex Neil.

"Having worked with the gaffer before, that was a big pull for me," McGovern told Norwich's official website.

"I had some interest from elsewhere but I'm really looking forward to working with him again now at Norwich.

"I'm aiming to get into the team but I know I'm up against some top-class goalkeepers. It's going to be intense competition, although it's a challenge I'll relish."

Former Hamilton club captain McGovern appeared in all four of Northern Ireland's matches at Euro 2016 and conceded only three goals.

Canaries boss Neil added: "He's a fantastic professional and he showed he's capable of playing at the top level with his performances for Northern Ireland at the Euros.

"He will come in and offer great competition to our current goalkeepers."

McGovern progressed through Celtic's youth system and joined Dundee United on a free transfer in 2008. He then had spells at Ross County and Falkirk before signing for Hamilton in June 2014.

Leicester's Premier League-winning skipper Wes Morgan has signed a new deal which will keep him at the King Power Stadium until the summer of 2019.

The 32-year-old defender, who played every minute of the club's remarkable charge to glory, has committed his future to the club as he prepares for a title defence and Champions League football.

Morgan said: "To commit my future to Leicester City is a wonderful feeling. Everyone knows how I feel about playing for this club and with my team-mates, so I'm proud to have the chance to carry on wearing the shirt long term.

"Lifting that Premier League trophy was a moment I will never forget and it's still sinking in. Now we've got to give it everything to defend it, as well as showing what we can do in the Champions League."

Diego Costa in friendly action against Rapid Vienna

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte indicated that striker Diego Costa will stay at the club, despite a series of reports in the Spanish media linking him with a return to Atletico Madrid.

The 27-year-old has scored 36 goals in over 70 appearances for the Premier League side, but netted just 12 times last season as the club finished 10th in the table.

Costa joined Chelsea from Atletico in 2014 after spending six years over two spells with the Spanish club.

"Diego Costa is our player, he's a fantastic player with fundamental importance. He's very happy and is working hard," Conte told reporters on Tuesday.

Winger Juan Cuadrado was shipped out on loan to Juventus last season and scored five goals in 40 appearances to help the Italian side to the league and cup double.

Conte said he was willing to give the Colombia international a chance to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.

"Cuadrado is Chelsea's player. I like him. He arrived today and this afternoon he starts to train with us," said the 46-year-old during the club's pre-season training camp in Austria.

Conte will begin his tenure in England with a London derby against West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on August 15.

Boaz Myhill

West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill has agreed a one-year contract extension at The Hawthorns, the Premier League club have announced.

The 33-year-old's new deal runs until the summer of 2018 and he will hope to make a century of appearances for the Baggies in that time having played in 78 games for them to date.

Myhill, who has been with West Brom for the past six years having joined from Hull, enjoyed an extended run in the team last term due to a knee injury suffered by first-choice keeper Ben Foster.

He made 23 Premier League starts for Tony Pulis' men as they finished 14th in the final standings.

Newcastle are yet to receive an acceptable offer for midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum despite speculation he is close to joining Liverpool.

Press Association Sport understands that there has been contact between the two clubs and that a fee for the £25million-rated Dutchman has been discussed.

However, sources on Tyneside have indicated that the terms proposed to date do not meet the club's requirements and as such, no deal is in place.

The Magpies do not want to sell Wijnaldum, who joined them in a £14.5million switch from PSV Eindhoven last summer, and have no need to do so despite suffering relegation from the Premier League.

But there is also an acceptance that every player has his price, and that a disgruntled player could be more trouble than he is worth and should Liverpool come up with the right money on the right terms, they may well do business.

Wijnaldum, whose situation is also being monitored by Tottenham, was Newcastle's leading scorer last season with 11 goals, four of them in a 6-2 league demolition of Norwich, although his form was patchy and he was unable to help the club retain its top-flight status following the appointment of Rafael Benitez as manager.

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou

Marseille winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is set to undergo a medical at Tottenham but Clinton Njie is not keen on a loan move in the other direction.

Spurs are believed to have agreed a £10.9million deal for Nkoudou, who was one of the rising stars in Ligue 1 last season.

Marseille's attempt to take Njie on loan is independent of the Nkoudou transfer, but the French club have indicated they will not allow their man to leave until a suitable replacement is found.

That has left Tottenham in an awkward position, given they had planned to keep Njie, but manager Mauricio Pochettino is desperate to integrate new signings as early as possible this summer.

Pochettino wants his players to complete a full pre-season programme, which he considers crucial to the team's style of play.

Njie, however, is eager to prove himself in the Premier League after only moving to White Hart Lane from Lyon 11 months ago, with his debut campaign in England heavily disrupted by injury.

Nkoudou, who can play on either flank, scored 10 goals in 36 appearances last term and is known for his pace, penetration and excellent work ethic.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes has said the Potters have lodged bids for West Brom striker Saido Berahino.

Berahino, who received an England squad call-up in November 2014, has only one year left on his deal with the Baggies and last summer he expressed frustration that a move to Tottenham was blocked by his club's hierarchy.

However, the 22-year-old may yet be offered a way out of The Hawthorns by Stoke as Hughes has stated his club have made enquiries to West Brom about landing Berahino amid reports of a £20million bid.

"He's a player at another club so I don't really want to comment too much but it's fair to say we've put bids in that, as we stand, haven't been accepted yet but we're still hopeful on that one," the Welshman said on Sky Sports News HQ.

Defender Ragnar Klavan's medical at Liverpool is under way ahead of his £4.2million move from Augsburg.

The vastly-experienced Estonia international has been brought in as cover at centre-back as Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez both currently have injuries and Tiago Ilori, who could have been a fall-back option, is heading to the Olympics with Portugal.

Klavan has over 100 caps for his country and has had four seasons in the Bundesliga and manager Jurgen Klopp sees him as the ideal man to offer back-up and leadership in much the same way as Kolo Toure did before his departure this summer.

A deal for Klavan is likely to be concluded on Wednesday.

Klopp's new first-choice centre-back for the coming season Joel Matip escaped serious injury to his ankle in Sunday's friendly win at Wigan.

Burnley have made their first signing since returning to the Premier League by bringing in Iceland international Johann Berg Gudmundsson from Charlton.

The midfielder, 25, has penned a three-year deal at Turf Moor with the option of a further year having spent two seasons with the Addicks, who were relegated into League One while the Clarets went up.

Gudmundsson also started every game for his country during their run to the last eight at Euro 2016 earlier this summer.

The Clarets have also signed goalkeeper Nick Pope from the Addicks.

The 24-year-old was first choice at The Valley last season in a campaign that saw the side relegated from the Championship.

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of England Under-21 international defender Rob Holding from Bolton.

The 20-year-old travelled down to London on Monday night for a medical and to finalise personal terms with the Gunners after a bid in the region of £2million was accepted by Wanderers.

Holding has been with Bolton since the age of seven and made his senior bow for his boyhood club in a Capital One Cup tie with Burton last August.

Capable of playing as either a centre-back or a full-back, Holding made 30 appearances last term and was named the club's player of the year in a campaign which ended in relegation into Sky Bet League One.

He was then called up to Gareth Southgate's Under-21 group at the end of that season and was part of the squad which won the Toulon Tournament in France.

News of serious interest in Holding first emerged towards the end of last term and then interim boss Jimmy Phillips was instructed to leave him out of the team to face Fulham on the last day of the season.

Borussia Dortmund have started transfer talks with Bayern Munich over attacking midfielder Mario Goetze's possible return to Westfalenstadion.

Goetze won two Bundesliga titles with Dortmund before joining Bayern in 2013 but failed to secure a starting place in three seasons under coach Pep Guardiola, who has since joined Premier League side Manchester City.

The 24-year-old has also been linked in British media with a move to former Dortmund boss Juergen Klopp at Liverpool.

"I can confirm that talks with Borussia Dortmund have taken place. There have also been talks with his agent, but the deal is not done just yet. Both clubs will have to reach an agreement over a transfer fee first," Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Sport1.

The Germany international scored three goals in 14 Bundesliga appearances last season having only returned to fitness in February following a five-month injury break after suffering an adductor muscle injury in October.

"Goetze has been at Bayern for three years and it did not work out for him. I am not surprised that Goetze wants to leave. He is 24 years old and needs to play regularly," Rummenigge added.

Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final, played four times for Germany at the European Championship in France, where they were eliminated by the hosts in the semi-finals.

Transfer Gossip

The Sun reports that Arsenal are showing interest in Manchester City centre-back Jason Denayer and Borussia Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter.

The Sun is also reporting that Manchester United have delayed naming their squad numbers for the 2016/17 season as they hope to complete the £105million signing of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

Manchester United also want to take Monaco full-back Fabionho to Old Trafford, according to the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mirror reports that Everton manager Ronald Koeman is keen on £30million Portugal midfielder William Carvalho.

And finally, the Evening Standard writes that Diego Costa is likely to remain at Chelsea and has not asked to leave Stamford Bridge.

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