Today's other stories in brief
Queiroz ponders future
Carlos Queiroz, Alex Ferguson's number two at Manchester United, has floated the possibility that he may leave the club at the end of the season because of his desire to return to management in his own right, reports Daniel Taylor.
Queiroz had a spell at Real Madrid, which ended with the sack in 2004 after only a year, but he does not seem to have been put off, saying he may decide to leave United for "other projects".
"My deal finishes in June and it will have been three years for me," he said. "Whether I stay after that depends on the decision of Alex and the owners (the Glazers)."
Meanwhile, Louis Saha hopes to be back for United's league game against Aston Villa a week on Saturday. A scan showed that the striker's groin injury was not as serious as first feared.
Crouch pledges to stay
Peter Crouch has pledged his future to Liverpool and is not agitating for a move during this month's transfer window despite admitting that Rafael Benitez' system of squad rotation is frustrating.
"I've heard all the speculation and all I can say is I'm happy here and love playing for the club," said Crouch, a £7 million signing from Southampton in 2005. "It's disappointing not to play, just as it is for everyone else, but I've had challenges throughout my career and this is another one."
Quashie fits the bill
Alan Curbishley hopes to sign Nigel Quashie as he seeks to turn around West Ham's fortunes. Curbishley wants players with notable Premiership experience and Quashie, a 28-year-old Scotland international, has been involved in top-flight relegation scraps at QPR, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and West Brom.
Javier Mascherano, who is out of favour at West Ham, has missed out on a move to Juventus. The Italian club sent an agent to London last week with a view to setting up a transfer but they now say they will not be buying the Argentina international.
West Ham will be without the midfielder Lee Bowyer for about six weeks after he dislocated his right shoulder at Reading.
Keane dips into market
Sunderland manager Roy Keane has signed Trinidad & Tobago midfielder Carlos Edwards from Luton and Tottenham's Hungarian goalkeeper Marton Fulop for a combined £2 million.
Defender Robbie Elliott left the club yesterday after completing a move to Leeds, while Liam Lawrence has moved to Stoke.
Leeds signed another defender in Matt Heath from Coventry and terminated the loan deal of the Sheffield United striker Geoff Horsfield. Tony Warner and Ugo Ehiogu have also returned to Fulham and Middlesbrough, respectively, and former captain and Republic of Ireland defender Paul Butler has been released.
In brief. ..
Tottenham announced the loan signing of 17-year-old French midfielder Adel Taarabt from Lens, before completing a deal to sign 20-year-old goalkeeper Ben Alnwick from Sunderland for a fee of £900,000 . . . Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi has been released from hospital following his fall during Monday's draw with Watford.
