White Hot Lines

• Tottenham have announced that they still have tickets available for both legs of the Worthington Cup semi-final v Wimbledon. The spares for the away game are currently only available to season ticket holders, but with 1,500 left, there may be some for genral sale.
• Allan Nielsen is looking to carry forward his good form into 1999. He started this year out in the cold under Gerry Francis, but Gross and Graham have fitted him into the side to good effect.
• Mark Burchill of Celtic is holding out on signing a new contract and Fergus McCann, the chairman of the club, has told his players that if they can get more money elsewhere, they are welcome to go. Out of contract at the end of the season, Burchill is free to talk to clubs after 1st January.
• Italian news services report that Nicola Berti has forsaken the Brazilian beat for a Spanish stroll with Deportivo Alaves, where he will sign until 2000.
• George Graham has been stirring up support for the FA Cup. Some teams have regarded it as a minor irritant in their search for European success, but GG says that Tottenham will take the competition seriously and would be pleased to be in the final of any competition they entered.
• GG has also praised Sol's goalscoring form and has said it will be fantastic if he can get 10 goals, although he hasn't promised him a bonus !!
• Neale Fenn and Peter Gain have joined Lincoln City on loan for one month.
• Darren Anderton has praised the fitness training of George Graham and has laid down how hard it is. However, he feels he is reaping the rewards of it in the good form he has had since the new manager arrived.
• George Graham has spoken out about the introduction of a winter break. He feels that January should be set aside to give the players a rest form the hurly-burly of the Premiership campaign and that the Worthington Cup should be over before December.

30.12.98

• Mauricio Taricco is just starting to train after his ankle injury and is unlikely to feature in first team action for at least a couple of weeks. He may get a game in the reserves, who play at Northampton next Tuesday 5th January. Let's hope he will be ready to play in the near future as we will need a full squad available when injuries and suspensions hit around February/March time.
• Better news of Stefan Freund though. It looks as though he may make his debut against Sheffield Wednesday on January 9th. He has been the type of player GG has been looking for since his arrival and he compares Fruend to Roy Keane and Paul Ince, althoug Paul Lambert (a team-mate at Borussia) said he knows when not to go too far in his "enforcing" role.
• Well, it seems as though Nicola Berti may indeed be going to Fluminese on a two year contract after all. He has had no interest from teams in this country and is out of favour at White Hart Lane. His free transfer could go through this week. The club are languishing in the Brazilian Third Division at the moment and have just taken on Carlos Alberto Parreira as coach. They plan to sign Dunga to play alongside Berti in midfield.
• Chris Armstrong fears for his place in the Spurs side even though he has just scored a hat-trick. He said that every player has to be on the top of their form to retain their place and his suspension may ive Steffen Iversen the chance to secure a first team berth. Armo is still suffering with floating bone in his ankle, which may need further surgery at the end of the season, but it gives him an opportunity to rest it while his ban is in force.

29.12.98

• Walter Smith was bemoaning the poor decision of the linesman to allow Chris Armstrong's first goal against Everton. At the game, it appeared that he had taken the ball on his hip, but the TV replay showed a hand was used. However, the particular linesman involved was so inept, that he was equally bad for both sides and I didn't hear Smith saying Barmby should have been booked for his flying cross-press on Ian Walker, when Les got a yellow for allegedly elbowing Myhre when challenging for a high ball.
• Stefan Freund, who had fallen out with the coach at Borussia Dortmund has been allowed to stay in Germany until the Bundesliga's winter break is over in early January. His first game could be the League game against Wimbledon on 16 January.
• GG is confident that there is better to come form Chris Armstrong. His movement pleased the boss and proved that Tottenham do not have to rely solely on David Ginola having a good game. However, his one match suspension will allow Steffen Iversen an opportunity to stake his claim for a place up front. Ronny Rosenthal may be back to play against his old side as he seeks to retain his place in the Hornets team.
• Rumours are once again circulating about a Tottenham interest in Michael Debeve of Lens, as George Graham has to look further afield for new talent.

28.12.98

• Tottenham beat Everton 4-1 with the goals coming from Les Ferdinand and a Chris Armstrong hat-trick.

27.12.98

• George Graham has said that he hopes to have a squad assembled within a year that will help him challenge for honours. At the moment he is happy that the side does not give in, but battles for results.
• Rumours are reported that Italian sources indicate that Fluminese of Brazil may be poised to take Nicola Berti off Tottenham's hands. Ever thought that there are slow news days ??

26.12.98

• Tottenham drew 1-1 at Coventry City with Sol Campbell giving Tottenham the lead before Aloisi pulled the home side level nine minutes from the end. GG blamed schoolboy defending for the equaliser.
• Stefan Freund has completed his £750,000 move to Tottenham from Borussia Dortmund, signing for three and a half years. He should link up with Spurs in about 10 days time.
• Gordon Strachan has heralded David Ginola as a true star of the Premiership. He descirbed him in glowing terms and not one of the players who considers themselves stars, but live off the back of others.
• Ray Clemence has stated that Ian Walker may be turning the corner after his Annus Horribilis of 1998. Looking on from the stands at Highfield Road, the England goalkeeping coach saw Walker make three outstanding saves and said that he had seen two of the matches since his return to first team action feeling his confidence has now returned after the knockbacks he has suffered. The goalkeeping reserves in the England squad are now in their upper thirties and the next generation lack a little in terms of experience, so Ian could provide a useful addition to the ranks if he continues to show good form.

25.12.98

• MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

24.12.98

• George Graham has acknowledged that the silky skills of Darren Anderton are best utilised out on the flank and not in the middle of midfield, where tackling is not one of Dazza's main attributes.
• Fit again Justin Edinburgh has admitted he has a fight to retain his left-back position currently filled by Andy Sinton. He sees this as a challenge that indicates that the team is doing well and looks forward to working hard to get his place back.
• Mark Burchill, the rising star of Scottish football is said to be in talks with Spurs officials in Scotland. The swoop for the highly talented Celtic youngster is designed to nip in before other interested parties and to try and get him on the free transfer he will be entitled to at the end of the season, because of the Bosman ruling.
• It is reported that Stefan Fruend will arrive at Spurs in the New Year, after a £750,000 transfer has been agreed. Talks with the player and his agent - Rune Hauge (Be very careful here) - have been taking place over the last two days and the deal should go through soon, with the player coming to Tottenham in early January.
• Whilst David Pleat denies that a bid has been made for the player and that he has only been watched so far, it is reported elsewhere, that a £4 million bid for Paris St. Germain defender, Alain Goma, has been made and it is hoped to be enough to seal the deal soon.

23.12.98

• Tottenham reportedly "must be impressed with Neil Sullivan" according to TeamTalk, when their scouts have been watching Chris Perry !!! The £3 million or £5 million rated keeper may be a target for George Graham apparently. Why ??? Especially when Espen Baardsen is ready to sign a new contract this week to keep him at Tottenham.
• Mauricio Taricco could be set to feature in the FA Cup third round tie v Watford, as his injured ankle injury clears up.
• Alain Goma, the Paris St. Germain defender, looks set to sign for Tottenham in a £4 million four year deal. The 26 year old can play alongside Sol in the centre of defence or at full-back. He was a member of the Auxerre team that won the title two seasons back.
• David Pleat met with Stefan Fruend yesterday and it seems as though the £750,000 transfer may be completed in time for the German to play v Everton on 28 Dec or in the new year, while some reports claim the deal has already been done and he will be available for the Christmas programme. The only problematical area appears to be wage demands, but these look capable of being met, according to reports. He appears to be a hard-working, Batty-type player, but one who can perform in a disciplined manner to break up the opositions attacks.
• Chris Armstrong has said the Christmas programme may test the depth of Tottenham's playing resources. With injuries already accounting for Vega, Scales, Saib and Iversen, the two games in three days will prove a tough task even though they are potentially easier (on paper) than the last few matches Tottenham have undertaken. An unchanged team is likely to be announced for the Coventry game.

22.12.98

• Tottenham are to renew their association with Holsten following the news that Hewlett Packard are to end their shirt sponsorship at the end of this season. Holsten sponsored Spurs for 12 years during a successful period for the club. Of course, the best publicity Holsten gained from their time with Spurs was when their name was left off of the new strip used in the 1987 FA Cup final.
• Stefan Freund, the 28 year-old Borrusia Dortmund midfielder, is believed to be having talks with Tottenham over a move to the Premiership. The player has been allowed to leave and could be available for as little as £750,000 to play the dyanmic role in the engine room of Tottenham's midfield.

21.12.98

• The reserves went down to their second successive defeat, this time losing 0-3 at Luton Town.
• George Graham will not rest until Tottenham have a squad to compare to that at Chelsea. He was happy that the side were not under undue pressure during the game, but was less than happy about Framk Lebeouf running 30 yards to encourage the ref to send Chris Armstrong off. While not disputing the referee's decision, GG felt that it should have been his decision alone and not influenced by other players. Les Ferdinand also had harsh words to say about the Frenchman, but was wary of the FA's power to haul players before them for "bringing the game into disrepute" (viz. Barnsley Away FA Cup 4th round replay 1997-98)
• Hewlett Packard are to end their sponsorship of Tottenham's shirts at the end of this season. They wish the club well and have enjoyed their successful period of sponsorship.

20.12.98

• TRANSFER RUMOUR ROUND-UP
  Leeds United have warned George Graham off the idea of signing their young players. It is reported that he has tried to get 18 year old Alan Smith to come to White Hart Lane and this may be the first of many raids on the youth team he helped to build up during his time at Elland Road.
  Celtic's Mark Burchill has had a £5,000 a week offer from Arsenal, but Tottenham have immediately matched this and George Graham appears keen to capture the 18 year-old midfielder.
  A £7 million move for Jamie Redknapp, the Liverpool midfielder, has been speculated in the Sunday newspapers.
  

19.12.98

• Tottenham lost 0-2 at Chelsea, after having Chris Armstrong sent off on 67 mins. for a second bookable offence.
• Tottenham are reportedly keeping tabs on Chris Sutton after news that Brian Kidd has upped his bid for Barnsley's Ashley Ward to £5 million. This will obviously cast some sort of shadow over Sutton's position and while he is currently injured, there will be no immediate move for the striker, a deal may be established when he has recovered.
• On Sky TV today, Frank McLintock said that GG has four or five players in mind and may well have set up deals for two or three while in Europe this week. He would not, however, part with any names of George's intended targets.
• Rumours are circulating that Adidas will be producing the Tottenham kit next season. After reports that they did not want to invest a large amount of money in one club, it now appears that the deal is back on.
• Chris Perry of Wimbledon is reported to be another target for Tottenham, with a £5 million price tag mentioned. David Pleat has said that this is not true and no approach has been made.

18.12.98

• Matt Jansen's absence from the Crystal Palace team in midweek has cast doubts about his future with the club. Desperate to raise money for further transfers, they may be set to cash in on their prime asset. Tottenham have been mentioned amongst the clubs interested in the England Under-21 striker, who would fetch £4 or £5 million.
• George Graham has also been linked with an interest in Ipswich's Kieron Dyer, but who wouldn't be ?
• George Graham has outlined his intentions for Tottenham's future success and said he will buy quality from abroad, if need be, to achieve this. His recent European scouting trip is likely to be the first of many.

17.12.98

• Justin Edinburgh and John Scales could return from injury to play a part in Saturday's match at Chelsea.
• Paolo Tramezzani has been told that he can leave the club.
• Rumour links 28 year old Lens midfielder Michael Debeve to Tottenham. Reports say that he has had talks with the club, although Tottenham have made no official comment.
• George Graham has revealed that he has been on a European scouting mission and that it was very "worthwhile" (roughly translated "I've now got all my duty free for Christmas"). "Don't be surprised if I make one or two signings very soon" said the smooth operator on his return keeping his cards close to his chest and not expanding on who his targets may be.
• Mauricio Taricco is still out with his foot injury and will need another couple of weeks before he can be considered for a first team place.

16.12.98

• Steffen Iversen is to have another operation on his fractured jaw and then may be able to resume training. He is currently lapping the pitches at Spurs Lodge (how interesting) and may be back for the Watford FA Cup tie.
• David Howells torrid time at Southampton looks set to continue with an extended spell out of the game. After cartilage damage was diagnosed, they also found a fractured knee bone, thus he will be out for even longer.
• Wolves' centre-half, Dean Richards, has been put on the transfer list following his refusal to signa new contract. This move will spark a lot of interest from Premier League clubs, probably including Spurs.
• Clive Allen is the latest ex-Spurs man to sing the praises of David Ginola, saying on current form he could win something with the club and get them into Europe.
• The Tottenham Youth team drew 0-0 at home with Walsall in the FA Youth Cup. The winners will face West Ham United.

15.12.98

• The Norwegian under-21 star midfielder, Trond Anderson, who was on trial with Spurs recently will be watched for a while yet. Although he impressed on his short stay, Spurs want to see more of him and the door has not been closed on a permanent deal.
• Transfer rumours surround Juninho of Athletico Madrid. It is reported that he has been offered to Tottenham and Chelsea, but it is felt that he would be too similar to Ginola for Spurs to take him at the moment.
• More substantial speculation concerns Aston Villa midfielder, Mark Draper, who it is thought will join Tottenham at the end of the season on a free transfer. David Pleat said he is not one of the players Tottenham are thinkin about at this time.
• Another free transfer could involve Nicola Berti moving to Crystal Palace. Pleat said on Media Monitor that as he has been offered a free, they have no objection to him talking to the First Division outfit.
• Spurs reserves lost 0-2 at Loftus Road where they played QPR reserves this afternoon. One of the scorers was former Spur, Steve Slade.
• Sometime rumoured Spurs target - Newcastle United & Northern Ireland wingman, Keith Gillespie - has joined Blackburn Rovers.
• Chris Waddle has returned to Hillsborough as part of Sheffield Wednesday's coaching staff.
• The first Fans Forum night, instigated by Martin Peters, is to take place on the evening of Thursday January 7th. The tickets will, in true Tottenham style, only be available by ballot and to complete your form, you must copy it from the official site http://www.spurs.co.uk/news/index.html on the Media Monitor page for today - 15th December. Hope you have more luck getting tickets for this than some of the away games !!!

14.12.98

• Ramon Vega is struggling to be fit for the stiffs game in the Avon Combination at QPR tomorrow. He is receiving intensive treatment on his injured knee in an attempt to get him some match practice.
• Espen Baardsen is rumoured to be close to signing a new five year contract for Tottenham. It is believed that many of the stories surrounding his disaffection with being dropped were not true and that he did not say many of the quotes which were attributed to him.
• 23 year old Marc-Vivien Foe, the Cameroon international defender, is being sought by Spurs as well as a whole host of other Premiership clubs. It appears, however, that he is holding out for a move to Man. United, who lost interest after a broken toe ended negotiations for his £4 million transfer prior to the World Cup.
• Gary Mabbutt and George Graham has come out and defended David Ginola against accusations of diving. It is thought that old misery Alex Ferguson fumed off at the end of the match as he felt the French winger had conned the ref into sending off Gary Neville. As TV pictures clearly showed and Clive Allen, Mark Lawrenson and Alan Hansen all pointed out, Neville was lucky to be on the pitch to get sent off following a worse foul than the one he eventually was dismissed for. GG has said that he would not stand for diving to get opponents booked and poor, hard done by Alex must face up to the bare facts of the matter, that his team were so wound up that they earned every yellow card that came their way ... and escaped a few more because of the inconsistent approach of the referee.
• Spurs target Oleg Luzhnyi, the Dynamo Kiev defender, has agreed terms with Benfica.

13.12.98

• SUNDAY PAPERS TRANSFER SPECULATION
  George Graham has been linked, along with many other clubs, with the 19 year-old Luton Town midfielder, Matthew Spring. A £2 million price has been put on the Hatters head. David Pleat has spoken "He is certainly one of the younger players in the lower leagues that we have looked at, but that is all."
  Jonathan Woodgate, the Leeds centre-half, has been linked with a move to Spurs. Pleat says "George knows all about the players at Leeds, but Woodgate has not been discussed."
  Bari of Serie A looks like a possible destination for Paolo Tramezzani, the out of favour left-back. A fee of £1 million may see the Christian Gross signing make the trip home after just 5 months. David Pleat denied that Bari had been on the phone.
  Aston Villa have been talking to Frank Lampard's agent regarding a swoop for the player. Tottenham will be interested should Lampard be allowed to leave Upton Park.
  Chelsea are interested in buying Juninho for £13 million from Athletico Madrid. The tiny Brazilian midfielder was a target for Spurs at the end of last season.
• George Graham gets married today to his fiancee Susan Schmidt.

12.12.98

• Tottenham beat Manchester United 2-2 with Sol Campbell scoring both Tottenham's goals in the second half after being 0-2 down att he break. Gary Neville was ent off for Man U just before half-time.
• Paul Ince has pledged his future with Liverpool thus ending speculation he may move to Spurs.
• Tottenham are involved with a pack of other Premier clubs in tracking the Ukrainian right-back Oleh Luzhnyi, who is 30 years old. It is unlikely that the Russian side will sell until their involvement in the Champions League is ended.

11.12.98

• Tottenham have been rumoured to be the Premiership club who have made a bid for Wimbledon's Chris Perry. The bid was rejected.
• David Ginola has said that he wants to finish his career at Tottenham. The player most thought wouold be one of the first out when GG arrived has impressed with his skill, workrate and detrmination since the new boss came in and would like to get Spurs back to the glory of previous teams.
• David Ginola has been awarded the London Evening Standard Player of the Month for November.

10.12.98

• Rumours of Tottenham's interest in Matt Jansen have been fuelled by reports coming out of Selhurst Park that Crystal Palace may seek to cash in on him if they do not win promotion at the end of the season.
• Les Ferdinand is happy to be in the Spurs team at the moment and should he play well enough to get into the England squad he will be well pleased.
• Following Tottenham's reserve game on Tuesday, Ramon Vega's knee was swollen and therefore he looks unlikely to feature in Saturday's match. John Scales came through the game unharmed and could fit into the centre of defence.
• Teamtalk has raised a possible link between former Leeds boss and out of favour Leeds defender, Danny Granville. Frozen out at Stamford Bridge, the England Under 21 full back quit Chelsea for Leeds only this summer, signing for GG. However, he is experiencing deja vu at Elland Road and fears that he has failed to settle have prompted the speculation of a £1.6 million move. It will be interesting to see whether the self-confessed Gooner would welcome a move to Tottenham. David Pleat has said on Media Monitor that "this story is incorrect".
• George Graham wants Darren Anderton to improve his fitness even further. He thinks Dazza can be 25% fitter than he is at present and could be one of the fittest players in England !!!!!!

9.12.98

• Ramon Vega may be fit to face Manchester United on Saturday. Recovered from his knee injury sustained in the match at Arsenal, he will be drafted into the team as George Graham tries to get as many first team regulars in the side as possible.
• Iversen's wired up jaw may be a blessing in disguise. It will give the Norweigan striker a break and an opportunity to rest his knee, which was damaged earlier in the season. He is having to communicate through a friend at the moment and it could be two days before he is able to take liquid sustainance through a straw.

8.12.98

• With Steffen Iversen out with a broken jaw, Les Ferdinand looks set to start against Manchester United on Saturday.
• After talks with George Graham, Espen Baardsen has agreed to sign a new five year contract worth £4.5 million. He was set to turn down the offer, but now everything is sorted and he is keen to win his place back int he first team.
• Tottenham have been linked with Paul Ince and Taribo West in today's newspapers. The Liverpool midfielder may be a victim of Gerard Houllier's clear-out at Anfield and the prices quoted in the press range from £3.5 million to £4.5 million. The Nigerian international and Internazionale defender West would cost around £4 million and his agent has reportedly been spotted in London.

7.12.98

• Steffen Iversen may be out for one month, six weeks or two months (depending where you read it) following an operation on his jaw in a London or Oslo hospital (depending where you read it) injured after colliding with David James in Saturday's win over Liverpool.
• George Graham is not happy with the side despite the upturn in fortunes. He said that there may still be players to come in, but they would haveto work very hard.
• Chris Hughton has explained some of the effect that George Graham has had on the players. He said that when he walked into the club, the players realised that his success elsewhere gave him the respect that some of his predecessors had lacked. They also took on board that what he said made sense and that if it worked at other clubs, then it could work for them.
• It is reported that George Graham will not let Espen Baardsen leave the club. He has told the young keeper to be patient, but although he desperately wants first team football, he still has 18 months to run on his contract and the manager may make him honour that agreement.

6.12.98

• Tottenham have been drawn at home to Watford for the FA Cup Third Round tie to be played on January 2/3.
• SUNDAY PAPER TRANSFER TITTLE TATTLE : Tottenham have reportedly been watching Celtic's 18 year-old wonder boy, Mark Burchill. They are not alone, as many of the leading Premiership teams have been monitoring the situation. It has been said in the Sunday papers that Spurs are also keen on Julian Joachim of Aston Villa, who's prospects are not good following the signings of Dublin and Merson.
  Steve Stone is believed to be leaving Nottingham Forest if they are relegated this season. He said he has been down to the First DIvision twice with the club and if they went down again, he would be off. Rated at £6 million, Spurs are said to be interested, but Villa have also been linked with the former England man.
  Arsenal are reportedly lining up Liverpool's Rob Jones for around £250,000 in January as a long-term replacement for Lee Dixon. A one-time target for Tottenham, the right back will be sold off before he can leave on a free.

5.12.98

• Tottenham beat Liverpool 2-1 with Fox and Carragher (own goal) scoring.
• George Graham has praised Darren Anderton and hopes that he will stay free of injury. He showed how much he wants to play for Spurs when he had a slight thigh muscle pull before the Manchester United League Cup tie, but played on nonetheless.
• Espen Baardsen has reacted angrily to being dropped by George Graham. He has said that he may not be interested in signing an extension to his contract and that he is seeking first team football.

4.12.98

• GG has vindicated everybody's thoughts about his relationship with David Ginola, by reportedly saying that he must keep up his high standards or he will be out of the first team. And who will we replace him with ? The ever-consistent Ruel Fox ??
• Justin Edinburgh, robbed of an extended run in the first team because of a knee injury, may be back in a couple of weeks following surgery for "wear and tear" on the joint. He was disappointed having to drop out after re-establishing his place in the side, but here at MEHSTG, we think he might be back within a week.
• Ramon Vega is missing from action as Tottenham face Liverpool. John Scales is in the squad, but Luke Young looks set to keep his place, as does Ian Walker. Ruel Fox may even be retained to provide more of an attacking option, with Colin Calderwood sitting this one out on the bench.

3.12.98

• Teamtalk reports that Ian Walker nearly quit Tottenham when he was dropped from the first team. He said at 27 he did not want to play in the reserves, but George Graham has been good for him because his laidback attitude has been sharpened by the new boss. After performing well against Manchester United, he hopes to keep his place for the Liverpool game.
• Tottenham may be looking elsewhere for a central defender after Lucas Radebe is in negotiations with Leeds over a new contract. Newcastle are also interested should a deal fall apart.
• George Graham has been impressed with Trond Andersen who is on trial at Tottenham. The 23 year old was watched by the manager in the reserve game against Wycombe on Tuesday night.
• Chris Armstrong has delayed an operation on his ankle to play on for Tottenham. After scoring twice in the quarter final against Manchester United, he indicated that while he was scoring goals he would put off the surgery to clear out floating pieces of bone so that he could retain his first team place.
• Mauricio Taricco has finally signed for Tottenham following an ankle injury playing for Ipswich on the eve of his transfer. It is thought that Graham will play him in the reserves first, before pitching him into the first XI. His move could spell the end for Paolo Tramezzani.
• Ex-Sky TV man - Sam Chisholm - has resigned as a non-executive director of Tottenham Hotspur. He has been appointed as a consultant to the FA Premier League and their rules preclude him then being a director of a Premier League club. His input can still be made by working as a consultant for Tottenham in the media development sphere.
• ITV will cover both legs of Tottenham's League Cup semi-final on Wednesday 27th January from White Hart Lane and at Selhurst Park on Tuesday 16th February. Both games will kick-off at 8.05 pm.

2.12.98

• Tottenham beat Manchester United 3-1 in the Quarter final of the Worthington Cup. The goals were scored by Chris Armstrong (2) and David Ginola.
• Tottenham will face Wimbledon in the semi-final with the first leg to be played at White Hart Lane in the week starting Monday 25th January with the return leg at Selhurst Park in the week starting 15th February.
• Rumours are circulating linking a renewed bid for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by Tottenham. Although the original deal was almost signed earlier this season before the Norwegian international decided to stay, he has been on the periphery of things at Old Trafford and may be keen to get regular first team football. It is rumoured that a factor in his decision could be Trond Andersen, a good friend, who is currently on trial at Tottenham. He may be more inclined to move if the trialist is signed ona permanent basis.
• The links with David Batty should now subside following a cooling on the player when Newcastle upped the asking price for him to £6 million. Leeds still seems the likely destination for the England midfielder and Graham said he is looking at a lot of players but may have to be patient before signings are made.

1.12.98

• Trialist Trond Andersen is set to play in the Reserves match v Wycombe tonight. He featured in a 2-0 win for Spurs, who also played another trialist - Cy Bramble from Chelmsford City. Rory Allen scored the first and the second was an own goal.
• Jose Dominguez is not for sale according to reports. He features in George Graham's plans, but may want to move on if he cannot get first team action.
• Egil Ostenstad looks set to leave Southampton and Tottenham have been linked with the Norwegian striker.
• Steffen Iversen may miss the tie against Man U because of a knee injury picked up against West Ham.