MARK Hughes, the Blackburn Rovers manager, is hoping to bring Shefki Kuqi, the Finland forward, to Ewood Park. The former Ipswich Town player is available on a free transfer and although Hughes is pursuing Benni McCarthy, the FC Porto and South Africa striker, he believes that Kuqi could be a powerful alternative in attack. “Mark is interested in Shefki because he feels he could give us something different,” John Williams, the club’s chief executive, said.
Tottenham Hotspur are growing frustrated in their attempts to agree a compensation deal with Chelsea over Frank Arnesen, their sporting director. Discussions have dragged on for more than a fortnight but the clubs still appear to be poles apart.
Arnesen was suspended by Tottenham this month when Chelsea’s interest in him became known. Tottenham claimed that Chelsea had made an illegal approach to the Dane and considered the option of reporting the Barclays Premiership champions to the FA Premier League.
Tottenham are losing patience at the lack of progress and what they see as Chelsea’s failure to offer an adequate severance package. Although they have lowered their initial asking price of £10 million in compensation, various possible player-exchange-plus-cash deals have foundered.
Guti, the Real Madrid midfield player, will decide his future at the Spanish club when he returns from a family holiday in Ibiza. “At 28, I need to be playing regularly,” he said. “If I stay, I will give everything, but maybe the moment has arrived for me to leave.” Arsenal and Juventus are monitoring developments. Although Guti has a £27 million buy-out clause in his contract, which runs until 2008, Madrid may open any bidding at about £15 million.
Advertisement
Tomas Repka, the West Ham United defender, is to sign a new two-year deal at Upton Park. Despite West Ham’s promotion to the Premiership via the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs, Repka had been expected to leave the club.
Phil Brown, the Bolton Wanderers assistant manager, must wait until the end of the week to find out whether he has been successful in his application to succeed George Burley in charge of Derby County.