West Ham: West Ham have completed a club record transfer for Norwich City striker Dean Ashton worth seven million pounds. In a statement, the premier league club said yesterday that Ashton had agreed personal terms and would undergo a medical in time for today's match against Fulham. Ashton, 22 and a former England U-21 international, scored 18 goals in 46 games for second division Norwich. "We are paying a club record transfer fee for Dean because we feel at 22 he represents an investment that can benefit West Ham United for years to come at the highest level," West Ham managing director Paul Aldridge said.
Scolari: Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari says he would be interested in taking over from Sven-Goran Eriksson as England manager should the job become available after this year's World Cup finals. "I would analyse with interest if I receive an invitation to work in England but I will only be able to talk about that at the end of my contract (with Portugal)," Scolari said yesterday.
Solskjaer: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been promised a new contract by Manchester United if he proves he has fully recovered from his knee injury. The Norwegian is on the comeback trail after missing more than 18 months of football because of a knee injury and has played three games for United since Christmas. His current contract runs out after the end of the season. The 32-year-old Solskjaer, who joined United in 1996, is a hero at Old Trafford after scoring the injury-time winner in their 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final.
Adebayor: Togo coach Stephan Keshi called key striker Emmanuel Adebayor a "cry baby" yesterday for refusing to start Saturday's African Nations Cup match against the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, Keshi said Adebayor, whose 10 goals in the qualifiers propelled Togo to their first World Cup appearance, would be staying with the squad in Egypt. "He is a cry baby," said Keshi of the Arsenal striker. "He should be spear-heading the team like Didier Drogba does with Ivory Coast or Samuel Eto'o does with Cameroon."
LuaLua: Congo captain Lomana LuaLua says it was his duty to head a strike threat over pay that could have led to his side boycotting their opening match at the African Nations Cup. LuaLua and his team-mates haggled with officials until the early hours of Saturday's opener against Togo, maintaining their threat until six hours before kick-off. Even then, it took a personal phone call from head of state Joseph Kabila just minutes before they walked onto the pitch to reassure LuaLua and his players that money would be paid. "It should have been sorted out a long time ago what they were going to pay the players," LuaLua told reporters.
Primera Liga: Weekend results - Real Madrid vs Cadiz 3-1; Real Zaragoza vs A. Madrid 0-2; Deportivo vs Mallorca 2-2; Getafe vs Espanyol 5-0; Santander vs Sevilla 2-3; Real Betis vs Valencia 0-2; Villarreal vs Osasuna 2-1; Malaga vs Celta Vigo 0-2; Barcelona vs Alaves 2-0; Real Sociedad vs A. Bilbao 3-3. Leading standings - Barcelona 49; Valencia, Osasuna 39; Real Madrid 36; Villarreal 34; Deportivo, Celta Vigo 33.
Ligue 1: Lens vs Monaco 1-1; Lyon vs Auxerre 1-1.
French League Cup: SFs draw - Monaco-Nice; Nancy-Le Mans.