Arsenal’s Chamakh joins West Ham on loan   
Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh has joined West Ham on loan until the end of the season after a disappointing spell with the north London club. Chamakh has endured a frustrating time at the Emirates Stadium since his 2010 free transfer from Bordeaux and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger agreed to send him on loan to the Hammers on Friday in a bid to revitalise his career. The 28-year-old Moroccan, who scored just 14 goals in 67 appearances for Arsenal, has not
completed his move in time to make his debut in Saturday’s FA Cup third round tie against Manchester United at Upton Park. AFP, London

Viola announce capture of Villarreal’s Rossi
Fiorentina have announced the imminent signing of Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi, the Serie A club said Friday. No financial details of the deal have yet been officially released although reports suggest Fiorentina will pay 10 million euros for the player. Rossi, who has played for Italy at every level but missed out on Euro 2012 due to an ongoing injury, was widely expected to return to Serie A after reports suggested both Fiorentina and Juventus were in the hunt. A statement on Fiorentina’s website it.violachannel.tv said the clubs had ‘reached an agreement for the transfer of Rossi on a permanent deal, subject to the signing of the contract by the player.’ It added that Rossi, who has not played for Villarreal since injuring his anterior cruciate ligament last year and is expected to only return in March, ‘will undergo a medical on Saturday in Rome.’ Rossi, who was born in New Jersey in the United States, signed his first professional contract with Manchester United but spent most of his two-year spell there on loan, to Newcastle then to Parma. He was sold to Villarreal in 2007 and went on to score 54 goals in 136 appearances for the Spanish side. Fiorentina sit third in Italy’s Serie A, nine points behind leaders and champions Juventus, after a strong finish to their 2012 campaign. Rossi’s arrival is likely to fuel speculation that Montenegrin Stevan Jovetic, a highly-rated striker who is reportedly on the radar of several clubs including Juventus, could soon be sold. AFP, Milan

Spurs swoop for Schalke’s Holtby
Tottenham have agreed a deal to sign Germany midfielder Lewis Holtby from Schalke at the end of the season. Holtby had recently confirmed he would be leaving Schalke and Tottenham announced on Friday that the 22-year-old will move to White Hart Lane when his contract with the German club expires in June. The 22-year-old midfielder, whose father Chris is from England, had also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, but Andre Villas-Boas’s side have won the race for the highly-rated playmaker. A Spurs statement read: ‘We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Germany Under-21 captain Lewis Holtby to join the club in July from Bundesliga side Schalke, subject to a medical.’ Germany-born Holtby, who has a German mother, was eligible to play for England through his father, a former soldier in the British army who used to be stationed in Monchengladbach, but he opted to represent his country of birth. He rose through the national youth ranks to earn three full caps for the senior national side and is the current captain of Germany’s Under-21s. Tottenham’s assistant manager Steffen Freund is aware of the player’s talents from his time coaching Germany’s Under-16 and Under-17 sides. ‘For Lewis it will not be a problem (adapting to English football),’ Freund said. ‘He is half-English, he loves the Premier League. He is captain of the Under-21s for Germany, he will lead the team at the European Championship in Israel. ‘I worked for Under-16s and Under-17s for the last three years,  that is why I don’t know him really well but what I can say is that he is a really good player.’ AFP, London

Atletico Madrid loan Azevedo to Deportivo
La Liga title chasers Atletico Madrid on Friday agreed to loan Portuguese defender Silvio Azevedo to rock-bottom rivals Deportivo La Coruna until the end of the season. ‘Silvio Azevedo will play until the end of the season with Deportivo. He will return to us at the end of the loan period,’ said an Atletico statement. AFP, Madrid

Feyenoord sign Italian Pelle on permanent deal
Italian striker Graziano Pelle has signed for Feyenoord on a permanent deal from Parma, the Dutch club said in a statement on Saturday. The 27-year old started his career at Lecce before joining AZ Alkmaar, where he left after four years for Parma. Pelle joined Feyenoord on loan in August and scored 14 goals in 14 matches during the first half of the season to inspire the Rotterdam-based club to fourth in the Dutch league, three points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven and Twente Enschede. He has penned a four-year deal with media reports saying Feyenoord will pay Parma three million euros ($3.91 million).Reuters, Rotterdam