SOCCER SHORTS

A round-up of today's other soccer news in brief

Newcastle check out McManus

NEWCASTLE United have made an inquiry about the availability of Celtic captain Stephen McManus. They contacted the Scottish champions after Celtic inquired about Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique . . . Portsmouth's new signings Hayden Mullins and Pele are in contention to make their debuts in tonight's Premier League clash with Aston Villa . . . Wigan boss Steve Bruce has moved quickly to fill the void left by Wilson Palacios, by signing Ben Watson from Crystal Palace. Wigan also completed Hugo Rodallega's €4.7 million move from Necaxa . . . Juventus have quashed speculation they are interested in signing West Ham forward Carlton Cole . . . Inter Milan striker Adriano has been banned for three matches after throwing a punch in Sunday's 1-0 win over Sampdoria . . . West Ham United expect to announce the club record signing of the highly-rated Brescia striker Savio Nsereko for €9.5 million today.

Arsenal and Arshavin wait for green light from Zenit

ARSENAL and Andrei Arshavin were last night awaiting the green light from the Zenit St Petersburg board before pressing ahead with the playmaker's long-mooted move to the Emirates Stadium as the Russian club's hierarchy debated whether or not to accept the Premier League's basic €12.7 million offer for the player.

That sum could be inflated by a further €3 million in add-ons and prospective future payments linked to performances and honours but had initially been deemed unsatisfactory by Zenit, who were seeking at least €18 million for the Russia international.

Arsenal, growing frustrated at the lack of progress in negotiations, imposed a deadline on an agreement to be met by midnight last night and, if no progress had been made by then, intended to withdraw their offer.

Their stance has served to unnerve Zenit, whose chief executive Maxim Mitrofanov moved to indicate that compromise was close over the weekend.

FAI reject Cobh's rescue plan

THE prospects of Cobh Ramblers retaining their league status for the coming season looked bleak last night after the FAI's board rejected a rescue plan that involved the association purchasing St Colman's Park and then leasing the ground back to the club, writes Emmet Malone.

In a statement last night the FAI said that it could not take any action that would involve helping particular clubs to get through the licensing process but, it said, it would look at ways of using St Colman's after the process has been completed.

Cobh Ramblers have been struggling with mounting debts over the course of the last year and the club now has less than a week to come up with a new way of obtaining the finance required for survival if it is to avoid being forced out of the League of Ireland just short of 25 years after it joined.