Liverpool's unconvincing start to the new season has prompted them to rekindle their interest in one of Italy's most accomplished defenders, Internazionale's Massimo Paganin. Although the Merseyside club has been attempting to lure the 27-year-old international centreback to the Premiership for the best part of three months, it has been anticipated he would accept an invitation to join Newcastle United.
Indeed, Liverpool's refusal to be drawn into any form of auction - particularly one which held the possibility of ultimately losing out to a club managed by Kenny Dalglish - meant that negotiations with Inter never moved beyond the preliminary stage.
But after seeing his side win just one of its opening four league fixtures, Liverpool's manager Roy Evans has reopened lines of communication between Anfield and Italy.
It is now believed that Evans has agreed to pay around £4.3 million for Pagania who lost his place in the Inter first team following Roy Hodgson's move to Blackburn Rovers. Although several other leading European clubs, notably Roma and Borussia Dortmund, are known to covet Pagania, only Newcastle have lodged a formal bid - Dalglish offering £3.75 million last month.
Even though Inter value Pagania at £5 million, it does now seem highly probable that he will be given permission to meet Liverpool officials to formally discuss a move to England.
If Pagania was to join Liverpool it would likely precipitate the sale of Republic of Ireland international defender Phil Babb, who is still something of a peripheral figure at Anfield almost three years after his arrival from Coventry City in a £3.6 million deal.
Meanwhile, the BBC have secured the rights to live coverage of the UEFA Cup matches between Celtic and Liverpool. The first leg at Celtic Park on September 16th and the return leg at Anfield two weeks later will both be screened live on BBC1.
Uwe Rosler is expected to officially inform Manchester City today that wishes to leave Maine Road.
The German striker is scheduled to meet the City manager Frank Clark to discuss a new contract but, fully aware that Everton are attempting to buy him, he is unlikely to put pen to paper.
Everton's manager Howard Kendall, offered £2 million for Rosler three weeks ago. Tony Yeboah's proposed move from Leeds United to Hamburg is unlikely to be concluded until early next week following "unexpected further developments" yesterday. Leeds and Hamburg have definitely agreed a fee of "around £1 million" for the Ghanaian international, who has been in self-imposed exile from Elland Road since the end of last season. But the 31-year-old striker is still to negotiate personal terms. Yeboah started his career in Germany with two seasons at Saarbrucken in 1988 before moving on for a four-and-a-half-year spell with Frankfurt.
If he does leave Leeds, Yeboah would become the fourth highprofile player to do so in two months, following Brian Deane's move to Sheffield United, Ian Rush's move Newcastle and Tony Dorigo's relocation to Torino.
