Busy day of transfers completed

RCD Mallorca

Staying in Spain, right-winger Álvaro Novo has parted company with Club Atlético de Madrid and joined Real Sociedad de Fútbol for the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old former Mallorca midfielder hardly figured last term under coach César Ferrando.

RC Celta de Vigo were delighted to welcome the AFC Ajax striker Daniel de Ridder after he agreed a switch to the Primera División. The Galician side have an option to buy the 21-year-old at the end of his 12-month loan.

Deportivo Alavés SAD have tied CA River Plate goalkeeper Franco Constanzo to a four-year deal with the option of a fifth season. Ten days of negotiations have paid off for Alavés and the 24-year-old will now compete with countryman Roberto Bonano and Nicolás Ardouin for the No1 jersey.

Another custodian on the move is Nuno Santos, having left Sporting Clube de Portugal for a season-long loan at FC Penafiel. "This was the best solution for me and I will do my best to return to Sporting next year," the 27-year-old said.

English outfit Blackburn Rovers FC have handed a one-year loan contract to Rangers FC defender Zurab Khizanishvili. The deal for the 23-year-old Georgian international includes a permanent option.

Premiership newcomers Wigan Athletic FC have recruited Republic of Ireland striker David Connolly from second division Leicester City FC for an undisclosed fee, reported to be €2m. Connolly, 28, has been given a three-year contract.

Joseph-Desiré Job has quit Middlesbrough FC for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia after becoming frustrated at his lack of opportunities this season. Manager Steve McClaren, who sanctioned the season-long loan, said of the 27-year-old: "He's keen to secure his Cameroon place and I couldn't guarantee first-team football." Job was signed from RC Lens for €4.5m in 2000.

Charlton Athletic FC have taken Iceland prodigy Rurik Gislason on a two-year contract after the 18-year-old impressed during a summer trial. The forward joins his compatriot Hermann Hreidarsson in south-east London.

French side FC Girondins de Bordeaux have loaned academy product Renaud Cohade to Ligue 2 side FC Sète 34. The 20-year-old midfielder has not featured in Bordeaux's five Ligue 1 games this season.

K. Lierse SK, the 12th-placed Belgian club, have brought in wing-back Goran Mujanovic from NK Varteks. The 21-year-old played UEFA Intertoto Cup football this summer.

The 1. FC Nürnberg defender Frank Wiblishauser has quit the Bundesliga to sign for Swiss outfit FC St. Gallen. The 27-year-old has agreed a one-year deal after the clubs negotiated an undisclosed fee.

Poland's MKS Odra Wodzislaw Slaski have re-signed striker Mariusz Nosal on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old had left Odra to spend the second half of last season with AEK Larnaca FC in Cyprus. Nosal has scored 59 games in 186 Ekstraklasa games.

English Premiership outfit Portsmouth FC have made a triple swoop. Uruguay striker Darío Silva, 32, joins on a two-year deal from Spanish UEFA Cup hopefuls Sevilla FC for an undisclosed fee. French Under-19 international Franck Songo'o has also signed from FC Barcelona, while Senegalese midfielder Salif Diao arrives at Fratton park on a season-long loan.

AS Livorno Calcio have signed one-time Italian international Francesco Coco on loan from FC Internazionale Milano for the 2005/06 campaign. The 28-year-old left-back has played only six matches in the last two seasons due to injuries.

Belgian league leaders R. Standard de Liège have acquired Romanian international Marius Niculae on a season's loan from Sporting Clube de Portugal. The 24-year-old former FC Dinamo Bucuresti forward, who has scored 14 goals in 59 games for Sporting, arrives to replace Sambegou Bangoura who has left for English club Stoke City FC.

Poland's Górnik Zabrze have agreed to re-sign Czech midfielder Marcel Licka after the 28-year-old failed to find a new club over the summer. Licka impressed in his 20 Ekstraklasa appearances for Górnik last season, but had seemed set on a new challenge.

Dutch club NEC Nijmegen have secured the services of 23-year-old attacking midfielder Jasar Takak from PSV Eindhoven. Takak comes in on a 12-month loan having had similar spells at FC Zwolle and RKC Waalwijk.

Estonia's record international goalscorer Andres Oper has put pen to paper on a one-year contract at Eredivisie side Roda JC with an option for two more seasons. Roda agreed an undisclosed sum thought to be in the region of €200,000 with FC Torpedo Moskva for the 27-year-old.

Another experienced international, Finland winger Joonas Kolkka, has signed a one-year deal with ADO Den Haag. The 30-year-old previously enjoyed spells at Willem II and PSV Eindhoven between 1995 and 2001 and returns to the Netherlands after four seasons at VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach and Crystal Palace FC.

Also in the Netherlands, Sparta Rotterdam have landed Nigerian Under-20 international midfielder Dani Kaita on a four-year deal. The 19-year-old has recently been promoted to his country's senior squad after impressing at this summer's FIFA World Youth Championship. He arrives from Kano Pillars in his homeland.

Arsenal FC have sent England Under-21 midfielder David Bentley to Premiership rivals Blackburn Rovers FC for the season. Bentley had a similar loan spell at Norwich City FC in 2004/05.

Scotland's leaders Heart of Midlothian FC have completed the signing of Samuel Almeida Camazzola from Brazilian outfit EC Juventude. The 23-year-old midfielder becomes George Burley's eighth recruit since taking over as Hearts manager and joins on a season-long loan.

Celtic FC have taken China defender Du Wei on a four-month loan from Shanghai Shenhua. The Glasgow team have paid an initial €160,000 for the 23-year-old and will add another €900,000 if the player extends his contract by a further three and a half years.

Meanwhile, Rangers FC have allowed Scottish international full-back Maurice Ross to join Sheffield Wednesday FC on loan. The 24-year-old will spend the season at the English second-tier side.

Motherwell FC have turned to Steve McDonald and Brian McLean as manager Terry Butcher seeks to strengthen his defence. Centre-back McDonald has accepted a short-term deal until January and arrives from Australian side Sorrento, while 20-year-old McLean joins on loan from Rangers for the rest of the campaign.

Stevie Crawford has gone to Aberdeen FC after being released by Scottish rivals Dundee United FC. The 31-year-old striker, who switched to the Tannadice team from Plymouth Argyle FC in January, has agreed a two-year contract.

Leeds United AFC's Norwegian international midfielder Eirik Bakke will play on loan at Aston Villa FC in the English Premiership until the new year. The 27-year-old has made just four appearances for Leeds since April 2004 due to injuries.

Finally, PFC Lokomotiv Sofia have landed former Bulgarian international Svetoslav Petrov on a free transfer. The 27-year-old PFC CSKA Sofia old boy spent the last two seasons with FC Kuban Krasnodar in Russia but wanted to return home.