PREMIERSHIP

HARTSON COULD BE HAMMERS' FIVE MILLION MAN
John Hartson has been offered a �5m contract by West Ham that will make him their highest paid player and keep him at the club until 2005.
The East Londoners have tempted Hartson with a new deal that will tie him to Upton Park for seven years and pay him more than �15,000 a week. That works out at close on �800,000 a year and �5.3m over its term.
The 23-year-old Swansea-born hit-man returned from Wales' double international jaunt to Malta and Tunisia having been faxed new details of the deal while he has been away in the sun. Hartson knew that Blackburn tried to sign him before they bought Southampton's Kevin Davies for �7.5m last week. And he also knew that the Hammers had amazingly slapped at �10m price tag on his head before telling the Lancashire club that their top scorer was not for sale.
That concerned Hartson, who has surprised West Ham were even prepared to put a fee on his head, and it encouraged him to stick out for a better deal than was being offered. Now he has got an extra year and a rise on the first wages they offered.
West Ham have been trying to get their top young stars tied to long-term deals and already have Steve Lomas and Rio Ferdinand signed up. But Frank Lampard and Hartson had dug their heels in. West Ham were initially trying to persuade Hartson to sign a three-year extension to his current deal that has three years still to run.
But because Hartson stalled on the deal and asked for �20,000 a week the Hammers have been forced into giving him an extra year on their original offer and upping their wages deal to over �15,000.
The player said: "We are much closer together now and I feel I will sign the new offer. While I've been away with Wales the new improved contract has been faxed to me and it's an extra year on top of what the club were originally offering, plus an improved cash offer too." Now Hartson will continue discussions with the Hammers this week. He added: "I want this sorted out before I start pre-season training. I don't want it hanging over me for weeks. I don't want to leave but if I am going to agree to stay with the club until I am nearly 31 then the deal has to be right."

ARSENAL The Gunners are reportedly planning to switch their home matches in next season's Champions League from Highbury to Wembley, which has double the capacity of their traditional home.
We have supplied UEFA with our plans, a club spokesman told the News Of The World. The matter is in the early stages of discussion, but it is a great opportunity to ensure the maximum number of fans can see the games. Arsenal, who have a five-year waiting list for season tickets at 38,500 capacity Highbury, made a failed bid to buy Wembley last season because their plans to expand their own ground are being resisted by local residents.

LEICESTER CITY Robbie Savage returned from Wales' slaughter in the sun fearing he needs a cartilage operation. The competitive midfield player limped away from the El Menzah stadium after the 4-0 defeat by Tunisia, believing his summer could be in ruins. He was in better spirits when he arrived with the rest of the squad to meet British Ambassador Richard Edis at a party at his residence just outside Tunis, but Savage still knows he will have to go into hospital this week.
"I'm getting engaged as soon as I get home, but now I may have to spend some time in hospital too," said Savage. "I hope to go in for an exploratory operation on Wednesday and if I need anything done I hope it can be sorted out straight away. These days you can be back on your feet in 10 days or so, but it's still not the way I wanted to end the season or spend the summer. Hopefully it will all be sorted out before we go back for pre-season training next month."

LIVERPOOL John Toshack has dismissed rumours linking him with a return to his former club Liverpool. "I don't know how the rumour started, but I'm used to being mentioned whenever jobs come up in Spain and England," said Toshack. He confirmed he had just signed a new two-year deal with Besiktas in January and will be staying in Turkey.

MANCHESTER UNITED The Old Trafford club have reportedly been registering an interest in Italian side Parma's left-sided attacker Jesper Blomqvist. The 25-year-old Swede would reputedly cost United in the region of �4m and Parma are ready to sell to fund a rebuilding programme.
Meanwhile manager Alex Ferguson will not speak to Teddy Sheringham about his nightclub partying until after the World Cup. Sheringham apologised yesterday to England boss Glenn Hoddle after being spotted in a Portuguese nightclub allegedly drinking, smoking and cavorting until 6.45am.
"If Manchester United players are involved in anything that could be considered a disciplinary issue we will always apply the same procedure. We take trouble to establish the facts and then deal with the matter privately. I don't believe in dishing out soundbites on such important subjects," he told the Sunday Times. "In this case whatever discussion I have with the player will obviously be left until after the World Cup. We accept that club concerns can wait and that Sheringham's direct responsibility at the moment is to Glenn Hoddle and the England coach's efforts to mount the best possible challenge in France."
Ferguson has also spoken about the decision to leave Paul Gascoigne out of England's final 22. "Warm feelings for someone can be put under impossible strain if he is constantly letting down himself and the people who have to work alongside him," he said. "I wasn't surprised to read that some senior players were happy with the decision to drop him. I know one or two of them wouldn't be amused by the beer-drinking he did during a round of golf in Spain the day before the announcement of the World Cup 22 or the serious boozing session he admits he had the night before.
"The stupidity and arrogance of that behaviour made me shudder. It suggested that Gascoigne thought he was untouchable."

NEWCASTLE UNITED The Magpies are in the money following the �4.5m transfer of Geordie midfielder Alan Thompson from Bolton to Aston Villa. The Magpies will collect more than �1m from the sale of their former starlet thanks to the foresight of former boss Kevin Keegan. Keegan negotiated a 25 per cent sell-on clause on any profit when he traded Thompson to Bolton for �250,000.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST Dave Bassett's side will travel to Scunthorpe on Saturday July 18, followed by a trip to Lincoln City a week later. Forest have also been pencilled in for a testimonial at Chesterfield on July 27 and will tour Finland for the second year running.

DIVISION TWO

MANCHESTER CITY Defender Murtaz Shelia will miss the August kick-off due to a worrying knee injury. Manager Joe Royle expects the 29-year-old to be out of action until the end of the year. Royle said: "He has a very serious injury and we have to take them very slowly. There is a long way to go."

NOTTS COUNTY County have completed their first summer signing with the capture of Everton youngster Mark Quayle. The 19-year-old scored four times in six reserve matches for the Magpies after being released by Everton at the end of last season. Quayle will join the club on July 1 and will be competing with Sean Farrell, Gary Jones, Craig Dudley and Justin Jackson for a place in attack.

SCOTLAND

CELTIC The Scottish champions yesterday announced that they are now looking to sue former assistant coach Murdo MacLeod after their one-time star player and former Scottish international criticised general manager Jock Brown in a newpaper article. Celtic issued a statement on Sunday which read:
"Celtic will now contact the club's solicitors with regard to legal action against Murdo MacLeod for:
(a) Breaching his contract
(b) Issuing false and damaging information about the club and individual employees of the club." The statement then went on to say: "This action is overdue, with various individuals selling their bitter agenda with lies and misinformation. It is important for the supporters' benefit and in the interests of truth that this action is taken."
MacLeod, who was sacked by the club last Wednesday, claimed Brown's attitude has created a damaging atmosphere of mistrust between the players and management at Parkhead. MacLeod's dismissal - reportedly for being too loyal to Jansen - reignited the bitter internal warfare that has been waged since the Dutchman confirmed his resignation two days after the club's first league title in a decade.
MacLeod claims that Brown and Jansen had screaming matches about Brown's attempts to interfere with team affairs and his alleged part in delays in bringing the players Jansen wanted to the club. He said: "They shouted and swore at each other because Jock did interfere - despite what he'll tell you - and Wim always won. Jock started by coming into the manager's room after games. But after just two matches Wim booted him out and never allowed him back in because he was offering his opinion too often. It drove a wedge between us in the dressing room and them upstairs. That nasty atmosphere of mistrust is still there."
MacLeod also claims that he was sacked this week for not publicly backing Brown in his simmering feud with Jansen. He added in the Sunday Mail: "When Jock brought me in to sack me he blamed me for not publicly backing him and saying he didn't abuse his position by interfering with the team. But I couldn't say that because I didn't think it was true.