KINKLADZE AVOIDS FINAL FAREWELL
MANCHESTER City have still not settled a fee with Ajax for Georgi Kinkladze, as the never-ending transfer saga rolls on. The Georgian midfielder has flown out to Amsterdam for more talks about his proposed £5.5m move to the Dutch giants but the two clubs have not yet come to an agreement.
Manager Joe Royle said: ''We are very close to a deal. It will probably come down to whether Gio can agree personal terms with them."
Kinkladze was expected to make his farewell appearance at Maine Road on Wednesday night in the friendly against Jamaica but, despite local media advertising his presence, he did not play. Some reports claim he was in Amsterdam, but a ticket mix-up meant he did not fly to Holland until Thursday and was available to play.
Fortunately, there were few city fans in the crowd of over 11,000 the majority were wearing the gold of Jamaica but the Blues who were present weren't happy at their idol's absence. All they had to cheer on the night was the promising performance of third-choice 'keeper Nick Weaver. Hardly the same thing as a tearful farewell to Gio!
Ged Brannan came on as a sub for the last 38 minutes, probably his last appearance in a City shirt before a move back to former club Tranmere.

BALD EAGLE EYES ORD
Derby County are being linked with Sunderland's long-serving defender Richard Ord. The 28-year-old has been squeezed out of the first team by the form of Jody Craddock and Darren Williams and will certainly be surplus to requirements should Peter Reid's men win promotion via the play-offs.
Derby manager Jim Smith is looking for more central defenders because he has little cover for injured first choices Igor Stimac and Dean Yates, with only Gary Rowett and midfielder Christian Dailly able to play the position. The Bald Eagle is also interested in Newcastle's out-of-contract Darren Peacock.
But whether Reid will be willing to sell Ord will depend on which division the Wearsiders will be playing in next season.

ROBBO'S FRENCH KISS-UP
Middlesbrough could be about to pull off another transfer coup with the signing of France's top scorer Stephane Guivarc'h for a £6m.
If Bryan Robson persuades the 27-year-old to leave Auxerre for Wearside rather than neighbours Newcastle or Highbury's growing French Quarter, it will match his achievements in tempting Juninho, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Gazza to Boro.
Guivarc'h is one of the most sought-after players in Europe and could increase his value with an impressive showing at the World Cup, where he is the latest Jean on the spot in France's search for a consistent goalscorer.
It's claimed that he has already agreed terms with Newcastle, but Boro are willing to pay him on a par with their highest earners - around £20,000 a week. The player, also linked with Rangers, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, wouldn't commit until he knew whether Middlesbrough would be playing Premiership football in August.

YOU'RE JUST NOT TRYING!
Celtic legend Tommy Gemmell has claimed the current side are on the brink of throwing away the championship because they are more interested in money than glory.
Gemmell, who scored the opening goal when Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1 in 1967 to become the first British winners of the European Cup, fears Celtic will not end Rangers' ten-year domination of the Premier League despite appearing to have the title done and dusted a couple of weeks ago.
"Maybe I'm being a wee bit old-fashioned, but I was from an era when you played for the jersey rather than for the money. Nowadays its pound notes first and jerseys second," said 54-year-old Gemmell. "You've got so many foreign players in the side now and I don't think they actually realise the importance of the whole situation as regards Celtic and Rangers."
Celtic were within seven minutes of ending Rangers' run of nine successive titles on Sunday before Dunfermline scored a late equaliser. Now Wim Jansen's side need to beat St Johnstone on Saturday to secure the title. Gemmell isn't sure they will.
"They've had it in their own hands for three weeks and haven't done it. That's their biggest problem - they just can't do it," he said. "And with all due respect, if you can't beat the likes of Dunfermline and St Johnstone, how the hell are you going to perform in the Champions' League against the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Ajax?"
Just as well as Rangers have done for the last five years, probably. Oh no, Rangers don't even get as far as the Champions League any more, do they.

A SPOONFUL OF SUKUR FOR ROVERS
Blackburn are closing in on a trio of exciting foreign signings: Turkish superstar Hakan Sukur and Marc-Vivien Foe and Frederic Dehu of new French champions Lens.
Sources in Turkey claim that Rovers want Galatasaray striker Sukur, who led Turkey's attack at Euro 96, but warned they face competition from Chelsea, Real Betis and Real Madrid. None of the interested parties are likely to match Galatasaray's £6m valuation, though.
A Rovers scout watched the Lens duo in last Saturday's French Cup Final and Roy Hodgson will have to act quickly because Manchester United (Fergie was also in Paris for the game), Newcastle, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon are all keen on the pair.
Ewood chief Roy Hodgson has kept close tabs on 23-year-old Foe, who has 32 caps already for Cameroon, and Dehu, as well as Monaco's tough Ivory Coast star Martin Djetou. They can all play in either midfield or defence and will cost around £3m each. Hodgson watched Lens play last month and says: They are players of high quality and I am working very hard to bring added quality to the squad.