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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has played down reports suggesting Arjen Robben will leave the club before the start of the new season. The Dutch winger has spoken of his unhappiness with the progress new contract talks at Stamford Bridge have been progressing and hinted that he could sign for Real Madrid this summer. The arrival of Florent Malouda at Stamford Bridge earlier this month has intensified the speculation but speaking after his side's 1-0 win against Suwon Bluewings, Mourinho said: "The latest with Robben is that he played the game. I cannot tell you more than that. "At the moment he is a Chelsea player with two more years of contract and he is working well. For me, he is a player like (John) Terry or (Frank) Lampard with two more years of a contract. I look at him as a Chelsea player and he has to compete against very good wingers like we have. I am happy with the situation. The club wants to keep the players, to do everything. I trust the board and (chief executive) Peter Kenyon in the negotiations he is doing. I know the players want to stay. I want the players and would be happy if they signed new contracts. The club have the right to say 'this is our limit'. The players have the right to say 'if I don't like the contract I don't sign it'. I have no problems with the club, I have no problems with the players. As a coach, I just think if they have a contract then they are Chelsea players and I look at them the same as a player with five or six years contract. I keep saying, I play the players who deserve it more. Of course, I would love the club to sign a new contract with them but I have no problem with that. I am with the club and the players. I have to be independent in this situation and be honest with them both."

West Ham United have refused to allow Carlos Tevez to have a medical at Manchester United on Wednesday as arguments about the Argentina international's future continue. United are keen to sign the 23-year-old for a reported 30million fee, but there is some confusion as the Hammers insist all dealings should be done with them and not Kia Joorabchian of MSI who owns Tevez's economic rights. West Ham released a statement saying: "No agreement has been reached in relation to Carlos Tevez." Under Premier League rules, one club is not allowed to give a player a medical unless his current club agrees. United chief executive David Gill said on Monday that the proposed transfer had become "over-complicated". The Premier League has insisted West Ham, who hold Tevez's registration, must receive the majority of the fee rather than Joorabchian. Last week, a Premier League spokesman said: "Any deal for Carlos Tevez has to be done directly with West Ham United. They hold the registration and we will not transfer the registration unless a deal is done directly with the club."

Sven-Goran Eriksson has continued the busy start to his Manchester City reign by signing Brazilian midfielder Geovanni. Geovanni, 27, has joined the Citizens on a one-year contract and becomes the third player signed by Eriksson during the opening days of his tenure. The former England coach has already brought Rolando Bianchi and Gelson Fernandes to the City of Manchester Stadium. Geovanni was available on a free transfer having recently left Brazilian side Cruzeiro. However, the midfielder is no stranger to Premier League opposition having scored one of the goals that knocked City's bitter rivals Manchester United out of the 2005/06 Champions League at the group stage. Geovanni scored a diving header as Benfica defeated United 2-1 in Portugal to dump Sir Alex Ferguson's side out of the competition. He scored 17 times in 94 appearances for Benfica and previously played for Barcelona.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has cooled reports suggesting long-serving Swedish midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg will be leaving the Emirates Stadium before the start of the new season. The 30-year-old midfielder has been linked with moves to several clubs this summer, with Fiorentina the latest to supposedly be keen to snap him up. But Wenger told the Gunners' official website: "I expect him to be here [at the start of the campaign] because he has not left yet. So that is 90 per cent yes. The Freddie case is a bit different than it was for Thierry Henry, if he had wanted to go we would have let him go. But I am happy that he stays." Ljungberg still has two years remaining on his current contract but struggled with injury for most of last season. He joined the Gunners for 3million from Halmstads in 1998 and has made over 300 appearances for the club, scoring 72 goals.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane has made Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson his fourth signing of the summer. The 22-year-old England international moves to the Stadium of Light for an undisclosed fee after penning a four-year deal with the Black Cats. Keane told the club's official website: "I'm delighted that we've been able to bring Kieran to Sunderland. Having worked with him in the past I'm well aware of what a good player and a good lad he is. He's ready for a fresh challenge and hopefully Sunderland will provide that for him."

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insists he is in no rush to re-negotiate new contracts with England duo John Terry and Frank Lampard. Both players have yet to agree new deals at Stamford Bridge with Lampard being linked with a move to Spain this summer. Buck is remaining calm though, particularly as the duo still have two years left on their current contracts. He said: "I'm hopeful we'll be able to sort all these contracts out but it's not something where there are negotiations every day. "I don't see there's a great rush but I do think they should be done properly. When there's approximately two years to go you want to think about re-signing the players, assuming you want to keep them because it preserves their transfer values. But I don't think you have to sign them when it's exactly two years. Sure we'd like to get them done but there's no deadline and there doesn't need to be."

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has once again revealed he could quit the club before the start of the season, but has still not made up his mind where his future lies. The Ivory Coast international has spent most of the summer ruminating about his future with Barcelona, FC Porto and AC Milan all reportedly interested in securing his services. He told The Sun: "For now things are still fuzzy, not clear. Yet any good offer could tip the scale in another team's favour. I have heard there are offers from Porto, Barca and the rest. But I've not made up my mind. There is no season I don't have many offers. Yet as a disciplined player I look at my career, which is uppermost, and my family. I would love to stay in England. I want to improve on my last season's performance and to win more titles in England. But any strong economic pull can make me change my mind. I always give my team 100 per cent. But if I feel I'm not being taken care of, I quit."

Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez insists he has received no offers for former Middlesbrough defender Franck Queudrue. Newcastle United have been linked with the Frenchman this summer, who looks certain to leave Craven Cottage after criticising Sanchez's long-ball tactics earlier this year. "We've had no official contact from any club for Frank Queudrue at this moment at time," said the former Northern Ireland boss. "It's well documented he'd like to move on. There will always be players who want to move on. If players want to move I won't stand in their way. But he cost us 3million and we'd like our money back - he hasn't devalued in price at all over the last year. If there hasn't been a suitable bid then he'll stay here for next season. There are no bargains to be had out there and we've had to pay what clubs have wanted when signing new players. We're not in a position where we have to sell any players." Queudrue joined the Cottagers last summer and made 32 appearances for the club in the 2006-07 campaign.