LIVERPOOL — Liverpool says it has reached an agreement with Real Madrid to sign Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin on a season-long loan deal. If Sahin passes a medical and agrees personal terms he will become Liverpool's fourth new signing under manager Brendan Rodgers, joining Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Oussama Assaidi at the club. Sahin moved to Madrid in the 2011 offseason but struggled to win selection in place of center midfielders Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira. The 23-year-old Sahin has played 31 internationals for Turkey and became its youngest ever scorer at 17 when he found the net on his debut against Germany in 2005. Chelsea signs Azpilicueta Chelsea has signed Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta from Marseille. The 22-year-old right back is joining the European champion after representing Spain at the London Olympics earlier this month. Contract details weren't disclosed Friday, but the transfer fee is reported to be about seven million pounds ($11 million). Azpilicueta is the fourth Spaniard in the Chelsea squad, teaming up with Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Fernando Torres. Sunderland takes Fletcher Premier League club Sunderland signed Scotland striker Steven Fletcher from Championship side Wolves for an undisclosed fee Friday. Fletcher agreed a four-year contract after Wolves accepted an improved offer from Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill. The 25-year-old had been on O'Neill's wanted list for much of the close-season and some reports claim he has paid around £15 million ($23 million) to finally get his man. Tax officials looking into Argentine transfers Argentina is investigating player transfers in football as part of a crackdown on tax evasion and suspected money laundering in the game. Argentina's tax agency, known by the Spanish-language acronym AFIP, Friday was expected to announce it is looking into transfers of up to 35 players and could ask the Argentine Football Association to rule them ineligible to play. The transfers involve some of Argentina's most famous clubs, including Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing, San Lorenzo and Independiente. This is the first sign that government rules published earlier this year may be starting to bite. The regulations require AFA and clubs in the top two divisions to report the financial details of transfers, salaries, bonuses and other contracts that have long escaped examination in Argentina. The crackdown in football is part of a larger effort by Argnetina's government to increase tax collection, and to gain the confidence of international financial markets. Many Argentine clubs are deeply in debt despite the vast sums of money that flow through the country's football industry. The league has long survived by selling off prospects to wealthy European leagues. Earlier this year, an Argentine watchdog agency — the Financial Information Unit — described football as a pit of temptations. — Agencies
