Robbie Fowler is expected to begin talks with Manchester City today after Leeds verbally agreed a £7.5 million fee and withdrew him from last night's reserve match at West Brom to avoid the risk of injury.
City will follow up their initial inquiries by faxing a bid to Elland Road this morning and Kevin Keegan hopes to give him his debut at Newcastle on Saturday. The talks are so advanced that the 27-year-old Fowler is expected to complete the move within 24 hours.
Keegan's delight will be tempered by the news that Michael Reiziger has turned down a loan move from Barcelona until the end of the season. Reiziger was unhappy that Keegan's willingness to spend all his transfer funds on Fowler meant he could not sign the Dutch international, on a £4 million permanent deal. Fowler's arrival might also jeopardise City's interest in Bordeaux's £5 million-rated defender David Sommeil, with reports in France that the two clubs cannot agree on the method of payment.
Fowler's initial reservations about leaving Leeds have been dispelled and it has become apparent the Yorkshire club are keen to take another high-earner off their wage bill, despite selling Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane, Olivier Dacourt and Lee Bowyer.
"I expect things to become much clearer in the next 24 hours," said the chairman Peter Ridsdale, who needs to ease debts of around £80 million.
"Any player not being picked in the first team on a regular basis, and who is subject to an offer, will be under consideration in terms of being sold."
Gerard Houllier, frustrated with his side's paltry haul of seven goals from an 11-match winless streak, has turned to one of Liverpool's favourite sons and foremost goalscorer, Ian Rush, to sharpen up his shot-shy strike force.
Rush is to return to Anfield as a coach, with the former Wales international, who scored a club-record 346 goals in 660 appearances during two spells at Liverpool, given a remit to instruct the attackers twice a week at their Melwood training complex.
Liverpool could be tempted to revive their interest in Auxerre's centre-half Jean-Alain Boumsong after the French club admitted they would listen to offers for the player.
Houllier inquired about the 23-year-old in the summer and, with confirmation that Boumsong does not intend to renew his deal which expires in 2004, may now return with a firm offer for the player, who is likely to cost £3 million.
Birmingham City's transfer-window spree appears to have been slammed shut by the Arsenal defender Matthew Upson. The clubs are understood to have agreed a £1 million fee at board level but the 22-year-old and Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger oppose the move.
The Gary Lineker-led consortium has taken a major step towards taking over Leicester after reaching agreement with the club's major creditor to lease the Walkers Stadium.
Leicester went into administration in October with debts of £50 million-plus. Almost half of that was owed to the US-based Teachers Bank, who financed the new stadium and have now agreed to lease it to them.
Aston Villa have rejected an approach by Fulham to take the unsettled Alpay Ozalan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent signing.
Sergei Rebrov could be on his way from Tottenham to Fenerbahce, despite interest from Fulham. A £3 million fee has been suggested and Fulham's chief executive Bruce Langham said last night: "A loan deal outside the Premiership would be the preferred option. But we are talking to Spurs about a deal for Rebrov."
