Republic of Ireland full-back Stephen Carr has signed a new contract that will keep him at Tottenham until 2005 - and clinched a massive new pay deal.
The 24-year-old defender had more than three years of an existing contract to run, but was believed to be earning only £5,000 a week, three times less than many of manager George Graham's team.
With Manchester United among his known admirers, Carr believed he was worth a big increase in wages and said: "I've got what I wanted, but there was never any real chance I would be leaving Tottenham. I'm delighted with the way things have turned out. There has been a lot of haggling and a lot of people saying this and that, but I'm just glad to have it all sorted out."
Inter Milan coach Marco Tardelli yesterday denied English media speculation that the Serie A club wishes to farm out Irish international striker Robbie Keane on a loan basis. Speaking at Inter's training ground, Tardelli said: "Keane is a very good player, he's only 20-years-old and he's staying with us. He could prove very, very useful for us. We are absolutely not thinking of loaning him to any club."
English media reports yesterday linked Keane with a possible move, on a loan basis, to English Premiership clubs Leeds and Chelsea. Those reports were perhaps the fruits of inventive speculation based on the fact that Keane has not figured in the starting line-up in Inter's last two games, a 2-1 League win at home to Perugia last weekend and a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in a UEFA Cup third round first leg tie away to German side Hertha Berlin.
Tardelli's emphatic dismissal of the loan speculation was also confirmed by club spokesman Sandro Sabatini, who said yesterday: "While Inter are still on course in the UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup as well as the league, of course, then nobody is moving from here. Keane is staying and so are all the others."
Inter are, however, about to head into a crucial period in their crowded seasonal fixture list. Tomorrow they are away to Vicenza in Serie A, while in midweek they meet Palma in an Italian Cup quarter-final, first leg. Next weekend, they are at home to Juventus in one of the traditional big matches of the Italian season. Four days later, they meet Hertha Berlin in the return leg of their third round UEFA Cup clash.
Rio Ferdinand yesterday agreed personal terms on his world record £18 million move from West Ham to Leeds United. Negotiations with Ferdinand and Israeli agent Pinhas Zahavi were concluded early yesterday morning with Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale and now all that remains is for the 22-year-old defender to complete a medical today.
