ALAN THOMPSON'S �4.5m move from Bolton to Aston Villa means he will be playing in Europe next season and not the First Division. It also means, according to the ambitious midfielder, he now has the platform from which to launch his bid to play in the 2000 European Championships with England. The talented playmaker, who began his career with Newcastle and has already represented England Youth and Under-21s, will watch this summer's World Cup on television. But he believes his transfer to Villa a move which disappointed Leeds, Blackburn, Everton and Leicester - can help him fulfil his dreams of a full England call-up. Thompson, 24, opted to sign for Villa despite strong and flattering competition for his signature from elsewhere because he is confident his new club has the potential to challenge for honours next year after being impressed by their remarkable end-of-season run which clinched an unexpected UEFA Cup spot. He said: ''I have come to a club which is very ambitious and capable of winning things and the first step is to play well for Aston Villa. But the next step is to try and get into Glenn Hoddle's England squad and, with no disrespect to Bolton, being on a bigger stage like the one I'm now on at Villa will help. "It is the European Championships in two years' time and one of my ambitions is to get involved in that competition. There are already a lot of internationals at Villa where you are more in the spotlight and I'm hoping I can create a favourable impression under John Gregory.'' Thompson also admitted that the lure of playing in Europe for the first time had been a big factor in him deciding to move to the Midlands; a sharp contrast to the disappointments with Wanderers who have been relegated from the Premiership twice in the last three seasons. ''That was a massive attraction for me, he confirmed. When I saw some of the games on television last season I would sit there thinking 'I'd love a piece of that' and Villa have given me that chance. I think the club can do very well. I know they were near the bottom of the table for a spell last season but with the players in the squad, such as Dwight Yorke, (who Gregory has hung a �20m price tag on to frighten off would-be buyers) it was no surprise to me that they had such a marvellous revival.'' Thompson has one of the sweetest left foots in the game and can play in central midfield or in a wide role. In the last two seasons his goal tally has reached double figures; a factor not lost on Villa boss Gregory who said: ''He has got a lot of quality. He gets from box to box as my players are expected to, scores goals and is happy all over the pitch. He is a young talent, and I anticipate him having a big part to play here. "But he has to remember that he needs to win his place because we now have four quality midfield players and, with the system we use, there might only be room for two of them in certain games. But that competition is vital if you are going to be successful.''

LATEST TRANSFER GOSSIP   Wenger To Land Ziani Rumour has it that Arsene Wenger has beaten off the challenge of Deportivo La Coruna and Paris St Germain to sign Stephane Ziani, the 25-year-old who was voted the best attacking midfielder in the French league last year as he helped Lens win the title. Arsenal have apparently agreed to the clubs' �4m valuation and the player will be paid in the region of �300,000 a year. It is understood that the deal will be formally completed when the player returns from his holiday in the Caribbean. Ziani is the second Lens player to join the Premiership for the coming season, with Coventry having already signed Jean Guy Walleme. Clear-out At The Bridge It's looking increasingly likely that Gianluca Vialli is set for a massive clear-out at Stamford Bridge�sooner rather than later. Vialli is keen to reduce the playing staff and the Chelsea wage bill, one of the biggest in the Premier. With the arrivals of Brian Laudrup and Pierluigi Casiraghi, and with Marcel Desailly looking set to join the Blues, heads are set to roll. So look out the following� Mark Hughes looks likely to be the first to go, with Middlesbrough favourites to land the Welsh international; Also on Vialli's hit list are Frank Sinclair, Eddie Newton, Michael Duberry and Bernard Lambourde. Kenny's Keen To Spend Currently at the top of Newcastle's wanted list is Dutch midfielder Giovanni Van Bronckhorst. Indeed, it appears that the Feyenoord star could be on his way to St.James' with Jon Dahl Tomasson heading in the opposite direction, bringing to a close his unfortunate spell with Newcastle. The suggestion is that Dalglish is desperate for a playmaker to ensure that Alan Shearer receives the necessary amount of service. He initially targeted Rui Costa, Fiorentina's Portuguese star, but has been suitably deterred by the Italian clubs' �6 million valuation. Dalglish will be seen at various World Cup locations, with heavy purse in pocket, determined to bolster his squad and so avoid the embarrassment of last season's appalling league performance. Saints In For Matt MkII Southampton boss Dave Jones has made a �5m bid for Crystal Palace striker Matt Jansen. Jones put in his improved offer yesterday for the gifted youngster who made an explosive start to his Premiership career. The Saints, armed with the �7.25m from the sale of Kevin Davies to Blackburn, had an initial �3.5m bid rejected last week. However, Palace will sell when new owner Mark Goldberg takes official control of the club. The Jansen sale would bring a remarkable profit to relegated Palace. They signed Jansen from Carlisle for just �1.5m after persuading him to pick them ahead of Manchester United.

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