Today's other stories in brief
Spurs close in on Sandro
TOTTENHAM have agreed personal terms in principle with Sandro, Internacional’s 20-year-old Brazil midfielder, and they are attempting to push through a €6.5 million deal for him during this transfer window.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager who says that his chairman, Daniel Levy, held further talks with Internacional last week, hopes to finance the move by selling striker Roman Pavlyuchenko to Zenit St Petersburg for around €11 million.
Tottenham first showed interest in the tough defensive midfielder last August when they also announced a sporting and strategic partnership with Internacional which is intended to give them the first option on the Brazilian club’s players. Levy visited Porto Alegre to meet Vittorio Piffero, the Internacional president, and also to discuss the possibility of signing Sandro. The player’s lawyer, Luiz Paulo Chignall, has since travelled to London for talks.
Fenlon will 'get on with my job'
PAT Fenlon has said he will put the disappointment of missing out on the Dundee United job behind him now as he prepares to oversee Bohemians’ attempt to win a third consecutive league title.
“I have always enjoyed working with Bohs and will get on with my job,” he said.
“I was very interested in the Dundee United job but it had to be right for all parties and unfortunately that wasnt the case.”
FORMER Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United defender Jason Gavin and current club St Patrick’s Athletic have agreed by mutual consent to cancel the remainder of his contract at Richmond Park.
The former youth international has been linked with a move abroad. The club wanted to reduce their wage bill with Gavin, who was one of only three players who was not out of contract at the end of last season, a very significant earner.
Frey linked with move to United
FIORENTINA goalkeeper Sebastian Frey is a transfer target for Manchester United, according to the players agent.
The 29-year-old former Parma and Inter goalkeeper is having an excellent season with the Viola in Serie A, and has a contract at Artemio Franchi until 2013.
But agent Giovanni Branchini claims United are lining the Frenchman up as a possible replacement for Edwin van der Sar.
Adebayor could be back for Manchester City soon
EMMANUEL Adebayor could be free to start playing again for Manchester City as early as this weekend if he is released by his country Togo.
Although City have said they will give their striker as much time as needed to recover from the trauma of the terrorist attack in Angola, if released by Togo he could be back with City this week.
Fifa have confirmed that under their rules, it is now up to Togo to decide when the players are available for their clubs again.
The west African country has withdrawn from the African Nations Cup following the terrorist attack last week that left three officials dead and some players wounded.
There is some confusion, however, over whether the Togo FA have appealed to be allowed back into the competition, though organisers insist no such move can now take place.
When that situation is finally clarified, it is expected that Togo will release the players back to their clubs.
Mandaric on tax evasion charge
MILAN Mandaric was charged yesterday with two counts of cheating the public revenue, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. The charges stem from his time as chairman of Portsmouth. Mandaric has been charged in relation to the payment of 295,000 US dollars to another person via a bank account in Monaco and evading the tax and national insurance contributions due between April 1st, 2002 and November 28th, 2007, the CPS said.
SHAMROCK Rovers manager Michael O’Neill says he expects a flurry of activity within the transfer market over the coming weeks as it finally hits home with many players that they are in danger of being left without clubs for the season ahead if they do not lower their financial demands. “Players are still expecting big money which they’re entitled to do but sometimes I think they are being a little bit unrealistic. That’s why we’ve been looking a fair bit outside of Ireland,” he said.
