Football: Liverpool make pounds 2m offer to Fowler

LIVERPOOL HAVE made a new contract offer to Robbie Fowler, worth an estimated pounds 2m a year, and hope to clinch his signing this week.

Fowler and his representative, George Scott, met Anfield officials at the weekend to thrash out a compromise deal after months of haggling. The England striker rejected the previous offer of pounds 35,000 per-week and was told there would be no more money from the club, but there has been an increase in the package.

With wages, signing-on fees and loyalty payments Fowler will become the best-paid player at Anfield and one of the top earners in British football.

The Manchester United captain, Roy Keane, has given his club a scare by putting contract talks on ice for the rest of the season. The Republic of Ireland international has said that he does not want to discuss his pounds 40,000 per week demands until the summer.

United want Keane to sort out a new contract now, rather than have him enter the last year of his present deal with the prospect of a lucrative free transfer at the end of next season. Keane said: "I will only sign if the contract is right for me. I want the club to pay me what I think I'm worth. United have been good for me, but I've also been good for them."

The chances of the Brazilian forward Juninho returning to English football with either his former club, Middlesbrough, or Aston Villa appear to have increased. The Spanish club's coach, Arrigo Sacchi, has admitted that Juninho does not feature in his first-team plans.

Juninho's father and agent, Osvaldo, hinted that Middlesbrough were the favourites to win his son's signature. "Middlesbrough have a good chance of signing him," he said. "We will talk to their chairman, Steve Gibson, next week. We get on with him very well."

The Cameroon international midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe yesterday completed his move from Lens to West Ham - according to officials at the French club.

The Yugoslavian international defender Slobodan Komljenovic hopes to seal a move to the Premiership after arriving at Southampton to begin a week's trial. The 28-year-old is valued at pounds 2.5m by his German club, MSV Duisburg.

Barnsley expect to sign the Queen's Park Rangers striker Mike Sheron for pounds 1.5m today. The fee would equal the Oakwell club record.

The Crystal Palace midfielder Fan Zhiyi has escaped severe punishment from the Football Association despite pleading guilty to improper behaviour towards the referee Terry Heilbron.

The Chinese international, alleged to have manhandled the Newton Aycliffe official at the end of a highly charged 3-2 defeat against West Bromwich at The Hawthorns in November, has been banned for one match and fined pounds 750.

Dundee have signed Coventry City's Scottish Under-21 international midfielder Gavin Strachan, the 20-year-old son of the Highfield Road manager Gordon Strachan, on loan until the end of the season.

The German midfielder, Andreas Mayer, has completed a pounds 200,000 transfer to Aberdeen from the Norwegian club, Rosenborg Trondheim. The former Coventry target played for the Dons against Manchester United in Teddy Scott's testimonial last week.

Hartlepool United want Chris Waddle to become their new manager, in succession to Mick Tait. The former England winger, who was in charge at Burnley last season, is now helping out with coaching at Sheffield Wednesday.

Terry Christie has left Stenhousemuir after six and a half years in charge to become the new manager of Alloa. He succeeds Tom Hendrie, who has moved to St Mirren.