Litmanen to join Liverpool, says agent

Liverpool are poised to sign out-of-favour Barcelona striker Jari Litmanen.

The 29-year-old former Ajax star, who has scored 17 goals in 68 appearances for Finland, is reported to have agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Anfield after being told he can leave the Nou Camp on a free transfer.

His agent Harri Kampman told onefootball.com: "The deal has been agreed and Jari is flying to England to put pen to paper and to thrash out personal terms.

"In the end it all happened rather quickly and the move was completed in a few days after the turn of the year - when we found out there was no way Jari would get his chance at Barcelona."

Litmanen played for Reipas Lahti, HJK Helsinki and MyPa in Finland before joining Ajax for £200,000 in 1992. He went on to score 91 goals in 159 matches for the Dutch giants and picked up a European Cup winner's medal in 1995.

Injuries and the dismissal of coach Louis van Gaal have blighted his time at Barcelona since his free transfer move to Spain in 1999.

But he has continued to flourish on the international scene, scoring four goals in his last seven appearances for Finland.

Litmanen has been a lifelong Liverpool fan and Kampman is convinced that he can be just as big a success in the Premiership as compatriot Sami Hyypia.

Meanwhile, Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler suffered slight facial injuries following an attack at a bar in Liverpool early yesterday morning. The England international was allegedly asked to leave the Wonder Bar in the Slater Street area of the city following a row over the taking of a photograph.

A 39-year-old Liverpool man was arrested by detectives called to the scene by a friend of Fowler's but has since been released on police bail.

A spokeswoman for bar owner Bass Leisure Retail said: "We have confirmed that the person asked to leave the premises was Robbie Fowler. We understand a further incident happened outside.

"We do know there was an altercation concerning a photograph. One of our door staff was questioned by police and has been released without charge."

It remained unclear last night whether a customer in the bar was trying to take a photograph of the Toxteth-born footballer.

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has insisted he wants to remain in charge at Anfield for 10 years.

Houllier was reacting to suggestions that he was looking to return to France when his current five-year contract runs out to team up with the French national side.

Houllier, who has coached France and was the country's FA technical director when they lifted the World Cup, had been involved with the national team in a coaching capacity for 10 years before being lured to Anfield.

But he feels comments he made in an article published in France have been misinterpreted to assume he wants to return home.

Houllier said: "As far as I'm concerned I'd like to stay with Liverpool for the next 10 years."

Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has ruled out a repeat of the club's historic 1999 treble despite an 11-point lead in the race for the Premiership title.

United have so far dominated the league this season and barring an unprecedented collapse their main rivals are left to fight for second place.

Ferguson, who insists he will be stepping down as manager at the end of next season, told ITN News that another treble is not a realistic target.

Ferguson, who attended Tuesday night's game between Aberdeen and Hearts, also ruled out any move back to Pittodrie where he enjoyed major success during the 1980s: "I just thought I'd take in a game but you can't go anywhere without speculation. It's just a load of nonsense." The club have also ruled out any move to lure him back.

New Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Dave Jones yesterday vowed to put the most traumatic 12 months of his life behind him and make a quick return to the Premiership.

The former Southampton chief was yesterday confirmed as the successor to Colin Lee at Molineux less than a month after being cleared of all child abuse charges against him.

His first match will be Sunday's FA Cup third round clash with Nottingham Forest at Molineux.