Gunners exodus continues

INS & OUTS: Cricket Big Bash signings, Arsenal become Man City's feeder club, Liverpool keep buying and Hamilton won't join Red Bull...

NRL / AFL / Football / Cricket / Formula 1 / Boxing

NRL

Not a lot of news on the player transfer front in league this week, with the June 30 deadline bringing to an end any immediate mid-season moves. Instead, the attention has turned to coaches, with a host of underachieving teams putting the pressure on their mentors.

Roosters coach Brian Smith and, particularly, Bulldogs mentor Kevin Moore seem to be under most pressure, with players from both clubs forced to defend their performances. Meanwhile defeat in State of Origin III doesn't seem to have hurt the popularity of NSW coach Ricky Stuart amongst his players, who have called for him to stay on next year despite rumours he could regain a full-time NRL job as Moore's possible successor at the Bulldogs.

For all the moves completed for 2012 so far, check out our NRL player moves page.

AFL

Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan is set to make a return to the AFL just three months after putting his career on hiatus in order to seek help for depression.

Hogan, 22, has played 21 AFL games and is close to winning back a spot for the Cats after impressing at VFL level of late.

Meanwhile Port Adelaide forward Jay Schultz has earned a new contract with the club, following his seven-goal haul against the Brisbane Lions.

FOOTBALL

While things are a little quiet on the NRL and AFL front, the European football transfer season is well and truly underway.

Kicking off this week's moves is Liverpool, who signed yet another promising Englishmen by snapping up Blackpool star Charlie Adam for an estimated £7 million.

The 25-year-old had been expected to make the move to Anfield following Blackpool's relegation after telling the club Liverpool was his club of choice.

Arsenal has been described by club great Ian Wright has described the Gunners as Manchester City's feeder club after the club's French left-back Gael Clichy signed on with City this week on a £7 million deal.

Clichy follows former Arsenal players Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor in joining cashed-up City.

City and arch rivals Manchester Untied are also battling for the services of Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, who is also said to be wanted to exit the London club.

Meanwhile in bad news for City, star striker and club captain Carlos Tevez has announced he wants to leave the club. Tevez had made a transfer request in December, before being convinced to stay, but now apparently wants out again in order to be closer to his family in Argentina.

Manchester United defenders John O'Shea and Wes Brown and midfielder Darron Gibson have all now made the move to Sunderland, who agreed on a joint deal worth more than £12 million for the trio.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has attempted to end speculation that midfielder Luka Modric will leave for Chelsea, saying it would "make no difference" how much the Blues offered for the Spurs star.

And back home, 24-year-old Socceroos attacking midfielder Dario Vidosic has signed on with Adelaide United after three years in Germany.

Vidosic, who was part of Australia's World Cup squad, failed to make a mark in Germany, battling injuries and spending time at three clubs.

Now to some of this week's rumours:

- Arsenal are chasing Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, and could also apparently make a move for Everton's Australian midfielder Tim Cahill as part of a swap deal with striker Nicklas Bendtner;

- Tottenham could snap up Real defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra;

- Manchester United could have the chance to spend big on Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder, with Inter willing to sell after signing Argentina wiz-kid Ricardo Alvarez;

- Arsenal and Liverpool are both apparently chasing Everton left-back Leighton Baines, Arsenal as a replacement for Clichy and Liverpool because they seem to be intent on spending big on as many England fringe players as possible;

- Liverpool are also close to securing Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing, with a deal set to be reached at around the £18-19 million mark;

- Botlon or Fulham could sign 31-year-old Manchester City forward Craig Bellamy – currently on loan at Cardiff City – for around £4 million.

CRICKET

Cameron White has described his axing from Australia's one-day international squad as a "kick in the guts".

White maintained his role as Australia's Twenty20 captain for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, with young paceman James Pattinson joining veteran Brett Lee in both squads.

The T20 squad includes young guns Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Stephen O'Keefe and Steven Smith, while the ODI squad includes the likes of Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Mike Hussey, Shaun Marsh and ex-skipper Ricky Ponting.

Meanwhile there have been more signings for the upcoming Big Bash League, with fringe ODI batsman Callum Ferguson turning down lucrative offers from rival franchises to stay in South Australia with the Adelaide Strikers. The Strikers have named several members of SA's title-winning Twenty20 team of last season.

In other moves, former England captain Paul Collingwood has been signed by the Perth Scorchers, alongside South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs. The pair will be the Scorchers' two designated international marquee players for the inaugural season of the tournament.

And New South Wales off-spinner Nathan Haurtiz will return to his native state of Queensland to play with the Brisbane Heat, jumping at the chance to play under Heat coach Darren Lehmann.

OTHERS

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton won't be joining reigning champion Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull next year, according to team boss Christian Horner.

"On paper a Vettel-Hamilton line-up would be hugely attractive," Horner said. "But you have to look at the reality, at how these things work, and history dictates that two world-class drivers in the same team has not always been the best pairing."

And former welterweight and light-welterweight boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has announced his retirement from the sport.

The 32-year-old, whose last professional fight was against Manny Pacquiao in May 2009, lost his license to box last year after allegations of cocaine use.

The British boxer won several world titles after starting his professional career with a 43-fight unbeaten streak.