Cannataro joins Bournemouth on one-year deal

Former Internazionale Milano midfielder Alessandro Cannataro has put pen to paper on a one-year deal at the Vitality Stadium, subject to international clearance.

The Italy youth international, 20, spent the past two weeks on trial at AFC Bournemouth, featuring (and impressing) in Under-21 matches against Reading, AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham.

“Alessandro is very composed and reads the game well,” Bournemouth Under-21 manager Stephen Purches told the Daily Echo.

“He is a good footballer with an excellent pedigree and wouldn’t have been at Inter Milan for that amount of time and captained their under-19s if he wasn’t.

“He is coming in to give me another player to work with and will bolster the group. Hopefully he will have a positive impact on everybody.

“The younger players coming in to train with us can look at how he plays and can learn from him.”

Nolan praises Payet

Former West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan believes Dimitri Payet will prove to be a hit in the English Premier League following the Frenchman’s brace against Newcastle United on Monday.

Payet, who joined the Hammers from Olympique de Marseille for £10 million in the summer, has already tallied three goals and one assist in five league appearances this season.

“He will be a success in the Premier League,” Nolan said.

“It is always a worry when you spend a lot of money on players from abroad because you don’t know whether they will adapt to the Premier League or not.

“But he has shown he has taken to it like a duck to water and I’m delighted because he’s a nice man too.”

Nolan, who is currently training with Leyton Orient, added: “They (West Ham) have a strong chance of a top-10 finish and I think that’ll be a good season for them, with them moving into the Olympic Stadium next year.

“But it’s not the best start for Newcastle, who are now stuck at the bottom of the table. I don’t think Steve McClaren envisaged that. I guess he wants to put his mark on the team but it’s taking more time that he probably expected.

“It’s a great football club and I have faith he will keep them in the Premier League.”

West Ham are backed by the bookmakers at 5/2 to achieve a top-10 finish in the Premier League this term.