– Chelsea pay a club record £4.9 million for Lazio and Italy midfielder Roberto Di Matteo. 4 July 1996 – Middlesbrough pay a club record £7 million for Juventus and Italy striker Fabrizio Ravanelli. 9 July 1996 – Manchester United make a £12 million offer to Blackburn Rovers for Alan Shearer, with Andy Cole in exchange – an offer which would set a national transfer record. However, the offer is rejected, with Rovers managing director Robert Coar insisting Shearer is not for sale. 10 July 1996 – Manchester United sign Norway defender Ronny Johnsen from Turkish side Beşiktaş. 11 July 1996 – Keith Wiseman succeeds Sir Bert Millichip as chairman of the FA. 20 July 1996 – Manchester United pay Slavia Prague £3.5 million for winger Karel Poborský, who helped Czech Republic reach the final of UEFA Euro 1996. 23 July 1996 – Manchester United sign Norway striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær from Molde for £1.5 million. 26 July 1996 – Jordi Cruyff, son of the legendary Johan, signs for Manchester United from Barcelona for £1.3 million. Coventry City pay a club record £3 million for Leeds United captain Gary McAllister, whose manager Howard Wilkinson uses £2.25 million of the windfall to buy Crystal Palace goalkeeper Nigel Martyn. 30 July 1996 – Newcastle United break the world transfer record by paying Blackburn Rovers £15million for Alan Shearer. 1 August 1996 – Bolton Wanderers sell defender Alan Stubbs to Celtic for £3 million. 2 August 1996 – Aston Villa sign Portuguese international defender Nélson from Sporting CP for £1.7 million. 10 August 1996 – Lee Sharpe leaves Manchester United after eight years and joins Leeds United. Bruce Rioch is sacked after one year as Arsenal manager following a dispute with the club's board, with his assistant Stewart Houston being installed as caretaker manager. 12 August 1996 – Arsenal sack manager Bruce Rioch after a dispute with the club's directors. Johan Cruyff, recently sacked by Barcelona, is reported to be a target in their hunt for a successor, but coach Stewart Houston will remain in charge of the first team until a permanent successor is found. 14 August 1996 – Managerless Arsenal sign French midfielder Patrick Vieira from Milan for £3.5 million. Frenchman Arsène Wenger, currently in charge of Japanese club Nagoya Grampus Eight, is the last to be linked with the manager's job. 11 August 1996 – Manchester United beat Newcastle United