Gerard Houllier is set to spend even more money at Liverpool in the next few months after Igor Biscan, a 23-year-old from Dynamo Zagreb, was a special guest at Anfield on Saturday for Liverpool's home draw with Sunderland, reports Michael Walker.
Liverpool and Dynamo have agreed an £8 million sterling fee for Biscan, but he will not join until Christmas and the deal will fall through should Biscan be injured in the meantime. Biscan has progressed from the Dynamo youth and reserve teams in the past two seasons, but at a rapid pace. He is now a full Croatian international and, as a defensive midfielder, has been compared to Frank Rijkaard. "That is what they told me at Liverpool," Biscan said yesterday. "I'm very satisfied and if there are no problems over the next few months, and if Liverpool don't change their manager, then I will sign." There are two possible hitches to the deal: Bayern Munich have offered more than £8 million and Juventus just over £6 million. But Juventus told Biscan that he would be farmed out to Venezia in the first season and Bayern may have made their offer too late.
PSV Eindhoven want Ruud van Nistelrooy to wait until the end of next season before possibly rekindling his move to Manchester United. Alex Ferguson has said he wants to revive the striker's transfer to Old Trafford when he recovers from his cruciate ligament injury.
Van Nistelrooy's proposed £18.5 million transfer switch fell through in April when the striker failed a medical at United and then damaged his knee three days later. He should be back playing by the spring and, ahead of tonight's Champions League match between the two sides, PSV coach Eric Gerets revealed he wants him to spend next season with them before joining United or another top European club.
There Leeds United footballers yesterday denied charges of assaulting a student. Midfielder Lee Bowyer (23), of Leeds, who has played for England at under-21 level, defender Jonathan Woodgate (20), of Middlesbrough, and striker Tony Hackworth (20), of Leeds, pleaded not guilty at Leeds Crown Court of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Sarfraz Najeib (19), in Leeds city centre in January.
The three footballers also denied affray. England international Woodgate also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
All the defendants were granted unconditional bail and trial was set for June 6th at Sheffield Crown Court.
Sunderland skipper Steve Bould yesterday announced his retirement from football at the age of 37, having failed to recover from a toe injury.
