LONDON: Chelsea’s Petr Cech will undergo a medical with Arsenal on Friday, according to British media reports, after the clubs agreed a fee for the 33-year-old goalkeeper. The BBC said Cech, who was displaced as Chelsea’s first-choice keeper by Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois last season, had agreed personal terms with Arsenal and would become their first close-season signing. Cech, who joined Chelsea in 2004, played 16 times for Jose Mourinho’s side last season. The goalkeeper position has been an issue for Arsenal over recent years with Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina sharing the role last season.

Court denies bail

BELLINZONA: Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court has rejected a request for release on bail by one of the seven men arrested on corruption charges last month in a raid on FIFA’s luxury hotel in Zurich. The Swiss court said “there was a risk that the appellant would abscond if released.” The court did not identify the man, who was among seven football and marketing officials arrested on May 27 at the request of American authorities investigating bribery and racketeering. He was the only one who appealed against detention in Zurich-area prisons as the seven await extradition to the United States. The court says the man’s arguments for release of “advanced age and poor state of health, were not regarded as sufficient to counter the risk of absconding.” Formal extradition requests must be filed by July 3.

Bouhanni triumphs

PARIS: Cofidis have built their Tour de France ambitions almost entirely around the great French sprint hope Nacer Bouhanni. Bouhanni won two stages of the Vuelta Espana and three on the Giro d’Italia last year and now Cofidis have recruited the 24-year-old and are banking on his irresistible rise. His lead-out man is Geoffrey Soupe and much of the team will function as a sprint train, notably debutant Florian Senechal and Christophe Laporte. The Tour begins in Utrecht in the Netherlands on July 4 and finishes in Paris on July 26.

Istomin in final

NOTTINGHAM: Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, the world No 92, is through to the final of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament in Nottingham after Marcos Baghdatis retired injured early in Friday's semi-final. Baghdatis, the world No 59 from Cyprus, gave up when leading 2-1 in the first set. — AFP