EPL side Southampton signed midfielder Sofiane Boufal from Ligue 1 side Lille on a five-year contract for a club-record fee. The 22-year-old scored 12 goals in 34 appearances for Lille last season, helping it "reach the French League Cup final." Financial details of the transfer "were undisclosed but British media reported" that Southampton paid £21M ($27.5M) to land the Moroccan int'l (REUTERS, 8/29).
Serie A side AS Roma announced that it will donate all proceeds raised from its Sept. 3rd “Festa della Famiglia” friendly match against San Lorenzo to help support relief efforts in the towns hit hardest by the earthquake in central Italy on Aug. 23. Funds raised from the game at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico will be donated to the Emergenza Terremoto Centro Italia fund via Football Cares, an organization established in '15 by the club and President James Pallotta to bring together the global football community to help those in need (AS Roma).
ManU's academy overhaul "continues after snapping up highly-rated Tottenham youth coach Kieran McKenna." McKenna, 30, was "initially a player at White Hart Lane after arriving from Enniskillen Town" in '02, and later coached Tottenham's academy sides (London DAILY MIRROR, 8/29).
Liverpool's new Main Stand includes a pillar "dedicated to the exact point of the North West boundary of the original Anfield stadium." It reads, "This line marks the historic Northwest boundary of our Anfield 1892-2014." But some Everton fans "have taken to Twitter to point out that Anfield was actually opened in 1884, and originally home to Everton" (LIVERPOOL ECHO, 8/29).
The first European and the biggest fan club of the NHL Colorado Avalanche is entering its 10th season, and the Eurolanche Fan Club will use a special anniversary logo this season (Eurolanche).
