Soccer Digest: Middlesbrough's desperate search for a goalscorer led them down a well-trodden road last night with manager Steve McClaren attempting to persuade Bradford City's nomadic Italian Benito Carbone to join on loan for the rest of the season.
The 30-year-old, who scored just once in 13 games during a recent three-month loan spell at Derby County, almost moved to the Riverside on transfer deadline day last March but the clubs failed to agree on the length of the Italian's proposed contract.
Now Middlesbrough have returned to the Italian having scored only 22 Premiership goals in their 24 games this season and failed in bids to lure Diego Forlan and Dwight Yorke to Teesside. "
The two clubs have agreed a loan deal for Benito Carbone with a view to a permanent transfer," confirmed Bradford chairman Geoffrey Richmond. "It is not a done deal, as Beni has some deep reservations about another short-term deal."
Football's world governing body FIFA confirmed yesterday the Italian drugs bans handed to Jaap Stam and Josep Guardiola are extended worldwide. Lazio defender Stam and Brescia midfielder Guardiola were handed five- and four-month back-dated bans, respectively, on January 24th because of their positive tests for nandrolone.
A former Cardiff City player was yesterday jailed for 60 days and banned from all football grounds in England and Wales for six years. Cardiff Magistrates Court heard Dai Thomas (26), played a part in the violence that marred Cardiff's defeat of Leeds United in the third round of the FA Cup last month. Thomas was captured on camera throwing a hoarding towards Leeds fans during the pitch invasion at Ninian Park on January 6th.
Coventry have dismissed claims Lee Carsley pulled out of last night's first division game against Rotherham because he is about to join Everton. Everton have been holding talks with the First Division side all week in an attempt to sign the midfielder.
Negotiations between the clubs have been taking place over the past 24 hours with agreement on a £1.5 million transfer fee reported to be close.
English Football League chief executive David Burns insists the UEFA Cup place for the winners of the Worthington Cup is "sacrosanct" - even if it means shelving plans for a British Cup.
Burns is in favour of bringing the league cup competitions north and south of the border together from the semi-final stage of each to increase interest in both tournaments. But he said yesterday retaining a place in Europe is the highest priority, ahead of unifying the cups.
