The new Blackburn Rovers manager Brian Kidd kept up his spending spree yesterday when he paid £4 million for Jason McAteer. The Liverpool utility player agreed to move to Ewood Park a week after his proposed transfer appeared to have collapsed because of a disagreement over personal terms.
The purchase of the Republic of Ireland international took Kidd's investment to £15 million for four major purchases since he took over from the sacked Roy Hodgson late last year.
McAteer, who joined Liverpool from Bolton Wanderers in a £4.5 million deal in 1995, has signed a five-year contract which will net him in excess of £20,000 a week.
As he prepared to make his debut in Saturday's home Premiership meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, the Blackburn captain Tim Sherwood was drawing up plans for his leaving party. Sherwood yesterday rejected what was described as his club's "final" offer of a vastly improved deal. He has been unhappy and unsettled for some time and will now be hoping that Tottenham's interest in him is resurrected.
McAteer, who has played at wingback for the majority of his Anfield career, could now be a straight replacement for Sherwood. Blackburn will parade McAteer at a news conference today.
Paolo Di Canio was offered the chance to repair his battered reputation in the Premiership yesterday when West Ham United signed him from Sheffield Wednesday for £1.5 million. More eyebrows than glasses may have been raised in the East End given the 30-year-old striker's wayward reputation. But while Harry Redknapp conceded he had taken "a chance", Di Canio appears to have found his new manager even more of a pushover than referee Paul Alcock.
"He can do things with the ball that people can only dream of," said Redknapp, who spent a further £4 million of the £7.5 million Wimbledon paid for John Hartson on Lens' Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe. "He has skills that are frightening."
Those, though, are unlikely to be on display for at least a fortnight. Di Canio, who has a 31/2 year contract, has not played since his infamous shove on Alcock in September and will definitely miss Saturday's game at Wimbledon.
West Ham should expect flashes of rage, as well as genius, when he is fit. It was Di Canio's refusal to play for Celtic after falling out with the board which precipitated his £4.5 million transfer to Sheffield Wednesday in August 1997. There he was sent off for abusing a linesman and called his manager Danny Wilson "immature" before the push which earned him an 11-match ban.
Foe, a strapping defensive midfielder, was poised to join Manchester United last summer until he broke a leg which also forced him out of the World Cup. The 23-year-old signed a 51/2 year contract.
John Gregory came closer to signing Juninho yesterday, as the Brazilian midfielder met with Aston Villa manager in Birmingham. The Atletico Madrid player was photographed leaving Villa Park via a side entrance.
Gregory remains confident he can persuade the 25-year-old former Middlesbrough player to sign a five-year contract worth a reported £1.5 million a year. Gregory believes that the lure of a Champions League spot - which Villa will secure if they stay in the top three of the Premiership - will help dissuade Juninho from returning to Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough sold Juninho to the Spanish club for £12.5 million after being relegated 20 months ago.
Wolverhampton's Glen Crowe, a Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker, is to join Third Division Plymouth on a free transfer after a recent trial at Home Park.
A reform of the FIFA world rankings saw a marked improvement for the Republic of Ireland who jumped from 56th to a new berth of 44th. FIFA have revised the way the points are awarded with results in the last eight rather than six years now taken into account.
Fifa World Rankings: 1, Brazil 829pts; 2, France 787; 3=, Croatia and Italy 745; 5, Germany 742; 6, Argentina 733; 7, Czech Republic 726; 8, Holland 720; 9, Spain 703; 10, Romania 698. Selected: 11, England 697pts; 26, Scotland 602; 44, Republic of Ireland 535; 67, Northern Ireland 467; 74, Wales 446.
