Football: Wenger's buy from Brazil

THE FAMED and feared Arsenal back four is unlikely to be a permanent fixture next season, after Arsene Wenger signed the Brazilian defender Silvinho yesterday. The 25-year-old left-back has moved from Corinthians for a fee believed to be around pounds 4m.

Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said he was delighted to have added him to his squad after the captures of Stefan Malz and Oleh Luzhny this summer. "It is essential that we continue to add quality players and so we are very pleased to have signed Silvinho," he said. "He is an experienced defender with great ability and will provide our squad with extra depth in order to face the demands of next season."

Kevin Campbell will fight for his right to become an Everton player. The striker is at the centre of a transfer wrangle with Trabzonspor - the Turkish side have been given 24 hours to reconsider their decision to turn down Everton's pounds 3m bid.

Campbell said: "I have a clause in my contract that allows me to leave and it doesn't seem that they are honouring that contract. I will have to take it to a higher authority."

Sunderland's Lee Clark has been put on the transfer list after being pictured wearing a T-shirt mocking the club's fans. The 26-year-old midfielder, who joined the club in a pounds 2.5m move from Newcastle United two seasons ago, wore the shirt when he joined Magpies fans to watch the FA Cup final in May.

Sunderland have also placed the Scottish international winger Allan Johnston and the unsettled England Under-21 striker Michael Bridges on the transfer list.

Bradford City have sealed the pounds 1.4m signing of the central defender David Wetherall from Leeds on a five-year contract, while Fulham have secured the American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann from Colorado Rapids for pounds 100,000.

Tony Pulis has been sacked as Gillingham's manager after the Kent club's chairman, Paul Scally, alleged that he was guilty of undisclosed "gross misconduct".

Pulis and Scally have been at loggerheads for several months, with the League Managers' Association having to act as mediators. The former Bournemouth manager took the Gills to Wembley for the first time in their history in May, when they lost to Manchester City on penalties in the Second Division play-off final.

Premiership clubs will fight a Football Association's proposal to reduce the 20-team league to 18 clubs. West Ham's secretary, Graham Mackrell, led the opposition yesterday, saying: "Reducing the Premier League to 18 clubs has only ever been supported by Manchester United and Arsenal. When you see the amount of money being generated in the Premiership, you can't expect to see clubs voting to fall on their swords."

Everton or Tranmere risk being thrown out of cup competitions if the former Everton chairman, Peter Johnson, retains control of both clubs.