WEST BROMWICH, England (AP) -West Brom has signed Bolton defender Abdoulaye Meite for 2 million pounds (?2.56 million; US$3.84 million) after resurrecting a deal manager Tony Mowbray described as “dead in the water” just a week ago.

The Ivory Coast international signed a three-year contract Sunday after undergoing a medical exam with the Premier League newcomer.

Meite is West Brom’s eighth offseason signing, and should help bolster the club’s defense as it tries to establish itself in England’s top flight.

Mowbray said last Sunday that the club had ended negotiations with Bolton, after the two sides failed to agree on the transfer fee for Meite. The value of the deal could increase to 2.5 million pounds (?3.2 million; US$4.8) depending on Meite’s performances, and West Brom has an option of extending the contract for a fourth year.

Ref From sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Wealthy and ambitious English Championship side Queens Park Rangers have achieved something of a coup by securing Real Madrid starlet Dani Parejo on a two-year loan deal.

One of Spain’s most highly-rated young prospects, Real Madrid’s Dani Parejo, has moved from the Bernabeu to Loftus Road on loan to join the Queens Park Rangers revolution.

The West London side, potentially the wealthiest in England, agreed a two-year loan deal with Madrid for Parejo, 19, who was also wanted by Arsenal - but on a permanent basis, and Real were not interested in selling the Spanish youth international.

Spanish clubs Deportivo La Coruna, Espanyol and Osasuna also made offers to take Parejo on loan, but QPR clinched a deal after discussions between Real president Ramon Calderon (pictured0 and Rangers supremo Flavio Briattore.

Although Real are allowing Parejo to move to Loftus Road for two years, they reserve the option to recall him next summer.

“This is a big chance and I hope I can profit from this opportunity,” said Parejo, who is currently Real’s pre-season training camp in Austria but will travel to London this weekend with Madrid for the Emirates Cup before joining up with QPR.

Ref From Mark Hinton, Goal.com

So it’s all over for another year and what an entertaining day of football it turned out to be at both ends of the English Premier League table. Manchester United’s hard fought 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic saw them lift their 17th English league title leaving them only one behind Liverpool’s record haul of 18. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and goalscorer Ryan Giggs both secured their 10th league titles with the Old Trafford club on the same day as Giggs equalled the Manchester United appearance record held by legend Sir Bobby Charlton. Quite a day for the Welshman then.

Chelsea finished second after their draw at home to Bolton wasn’t enough to catch United but they can look forward to next week’s UEFA Champion’s League final against Manchester United in Moscow to exact their revenge.

At the bottom of the table Reading, Birmingham City and Fulham all started the day with the threat of relegation hanging over them but despite all three securing credible wins it was Fulham who edged out of the relegation zone after four wins in their last five games and delivered the kind of escape Harry Houdini would have been proud of. Coach Roy Hodgson now picks up an estimated bonus of around £1m for avoiding the drop so I’m sure he’ll be a happy man tonight.

Elsewhere, Everton secured a much deserved 5th spot, Liverpool beat Spurs in a meaningless contest and Middlesbrough recorded a record Premier League win of 8 - 1 against Manchester City in what looks to be Sven Goran Eriksson’s last game in charge of City. With city rivals United winning the title it wasn’t the happiest of endings to a season for the long suffering City fans in any regard.

Ref From worldsoccer.about.com