Republic of Ireland assistant manager Chris Hughton has survived the cull of coaching staff that followed Jacques Santini and Frank Arnesen's appointments as manager and technical director, respectively, at Tottenham Hotspur. The club confirmed yesterday Hughton, who was assistant to caretaker manager David Pleat last season, will remain at White Hart Lane as assistant coach to the first team squad.
Following Santini's choice of former Dutch international Martin Jol as his assistant there had been some doubt about Hughton's future at the club, with which he has been associated - apart from a three-year gap when he played for West Ham and Brentford - since signing professional playing terms 27 years ago.
Meanwhile Ian Harte's nine-year spell at Leeds United could be about to end after he was given permission to speak to Spanish club Levante about a move.
Harte has been linked with Villareal and Valencia, where former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri is now in charge, but last season's Spanish second division champions, who won promotion to the Primera Liga for the first time in 39 years and appointed former German international Bernd Schuster as their coach last month, are now favourites to sign the left back.
Leeds are believed to be willing to allow Harte leave on a free transfer in an effort to reduce their wage bill - he earns £25,000-a-week - and if he can agree terms with Levante he will join a select band of Irish international who have played in Spain, including Alan Campbell, Liam Buckley (both Racing Santander), Michael Robinson (Osasuna), Kevin Moran (Sporting Gijon) and John Aldridge (Real Sociedad).
Another of Brian Kerr's Irish squad, David Connolly, could also be on the move as West Ham, like Leeds, attempt to reduce their wage bill after missing out on promotion to the Premiership last season.
Connolly, who joined West Ham last summer, has already been the subject of an enquiry from Leicester City but is now believed to be a target for Mick McCarthy who has only two experienced strikers, Kevin Kyle and Marcus Stewart, in his Sunderland first-team squad.
McCarthy, according to the Sunderland press, is keen to sign a striker before the squad flies to the US on Sunday for a pre-season tour and would be willing to meet West Ham's £450,000 asking price for Connolly.
Jason McAteer, Sunderland's captain last season before being released by the club, appears to have given up on his move to Leicester City after failing to agree personal terms on a one-year contract but the player's agent, David Manasseh, is still insisting that the deal can go through.
Stephen Carr, meanwhile, is, yet again, being linked with a move to Newcastle United following Bobby Robson's insistence that the signing of a right back remains his main priority before the start of the new season, despite all the talk of his interest in bringing Patrick Kluivert to St James's Park.
The "Carr-to-Newcastle" saga has dragged on for over a year but after Robson conceded defeat in his attempts to sign Euro 2004 right backs Georgios Seitaridis (Greece) and Miguel Monteiro (Portugal) there has been renewed speculation in the Newcastle press that Robson will bid for the Spurs' player.
Martin Rowlands, who made his senior Irish debut against Romania last May, has signed a new three-year contract with Queens Park Rangers, where he was named player of the year last season, while Irish under-21 midfielder Darren Potter has also agreed to a new three-year deal with Liverpool, to add to the two years he had remaining on his current contract.
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