West Ham United is on the verge of signing veteran French defensive midfielder Alou Diarra from Marseille. The 31-year-old French international can also play centre-back, but despite his age, he will certainly add steel, composure and skill to a Hammers midfield who will desperately need his help in the upcoming season.

Elsewhere today, there’s loads of Premier League-related news – most of it transfer-related.

And don’t forget that this afternoon there are three matches to choose from (or you can watch all three with the magic of DVRs) — Valencia vs Tottenham, Liverpool vs FC Gomel, and USA vs Japan (in their attempt to go for gold). I’m still trying to figure which one to do an open thread for. Any suggestions?

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