Duff allowed to leave

SOCCER: Jose Mourinho has confirmed Damien Duff wants a transfer and the winger will be allowed to leave Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur are expected to sign him, and two more players will need to be sold for Mourinho to achieve the ambition he revealed yesterday of slimming his squad to 16 senior outfield professionals.

Nineteen players fit that category now but Mourinho is seeking a reduction to keep everyone happy knowing they will get plenty of matches and ensure he can attract and retain coveted youngsters such as John Obi Mikel, Lassana Diarra and Salomon Kalou. The manager wants that trio and an academy graduate to bring his outfield total to 20.

Robert Huth and Hernan Crespo look strong candidates to join Duff in leaving if Mourinho is to reach his goal. The manager is also set to sell Asier del Horno but the left-back will be replaced, almost certainly by Ashley Cole. Pressed on that, Mourinho said: "Ashley Cole is an Arsenal player. It's not correct to say something."

Mourinho's policy has been to have two players for every position but he is abandoning that without, he believes, weakening Chelsea because of "multi-functional players" such as William Gallas, Michael Essien and Kalou. "I had a situation last season where I lost a player I liked very much in Tiago. Why? Because he was afraid of not having enough chances to play at Chelsea," Mourinho said.

"This season there is a chance we lose another player I like, in Damien Duff. Why? Because he is afraid of not having so many matches as he wishes. So I think that is the reality. When you have a squad of such high quality and at the same time high numbers some players find it really difficult to face. In this manner I can keep everybody happy."

Former Aston Villa boss David O'Leary will not be a target for Sunderland. The club have privately dismissed speculation that the former Republic of Ireland international could be on former team-mate Niall Quinn's list of candidates for the Sunderland vacancy.

Quinn is working towards appointing Mick McCarthy's successor with barely two weeks remaining before the start of the new season. Having given up hope of attracting Martin O'Neill, Bolton's Sam Allardyce remains Quinn's top target despite Wanderers insisting Sunderland have little chance of landing him.

O'Leary (48) was linked with the vacant post at the Stadium of Light after parting company with Villa on Wednesday. But the idea was quickly ruled out on Wearside despite the fact Sunderland would not have to fork out for a compensation package.

Quinn tabled his consortium's £10 million takeover bid earlier this month and was given permission by then chairman Bob Murray to start the search for a new manager. But the process has proved frustrating, and while he is desperately trying to find a big name, time is moving on.

Quinn's intention had been to leave the re-shaping of the squad to the new manager, but he has now had to start the ball rolling. Full back Julio Arca is understood to be in talks with neighbours Middlesbrough, while goalkeeper Kelvin Davis could still move to Southampton. Quinn handed 35-year-old former Ireland team-mate Kenny Cunningham a one-year deal on Wednesday.

Wolves have signed Republic of Ireland centre-back Gary Breen on a two-year contract. The 32-year-old was a free agent after parting company with Sunderland at the end of last season.

Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce has named Richard Dunne as club captain - but insists former skipper Sylvain Distin still has a big role to play. Distin has been linked with a move away from Eastlands, with Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate understood to have made an inquiry about the defender, who has just 12 months to run on his contract.

Dunne (26) described his opportunity as "a great honour", while Pearce stressed that Distin would remain a key member of his team. "I just feel that Richard has got a maturity now, and there's a feeling in my bones that giving him this extra responsibility will take him on to another level."

City have another new face in their squad after former Italy striker Bernardo Corradi completed his move from Valencia for an undisclosed fee.

Quinton Fortune, released by Manchester United, will sign for Bolton next week providing he manages to come through a pre-season game against Burnley on Saturday.