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Saturday 09 May 1998 (Evening Edition)

Front Page

McMANAMAN AND MILOSEVIC COULD
JOIN GARETH IN SUMMER MOVES

THREE top Premiership stars could be heading for the Spanish sun this summer as the Primera Liga's finest prepare to splash the cash on England pair Gareth Southgate and Steve McManaman, as well as Aston Villa's problematic Serb Savo Milosevic.

Atletico Madrid's £5.5m approach for England defender Southgate is the most amazing of the trio of Spanish raids which could see McManaman's on-off £12m move to champions Barcelona resurrected and Villa finally off-load Milosevic to Real Zaragoza for a handy £3.5m.

New Villa boss John Gregory, having skilfully steered the club to the brink of Europe, will be delighted to see the back of Milosevic ("sooner rather than later," he recently admitted) but will be alarmed by the sudden interest in Southgate by Juninho's Spanish club Atletico.

Money is no object to the wealthy, yet clearly mad Madrid president Jesus Gil whose financial extravagance usually means he gets his man. What he does with him afterwards is anybody's guess. Gil is keen to move now before the World Cup stirs up interest from elsewhere in the adaptable defender.

Southgate, who spoke of his

disappointment at Villa's lack of ambition in the transfer market under Brian Little earlier in the season, has been a lot happier since the old boss left and is impressed with the way Gregory has turned the sinking ship around.

But the England international has made no secret of his desire to sample continental football at some stage of his career and now appears to be a good time to realise his ambition. His style of play would certainly not be out of place in the tough Spanish league.

It is believed President Gil has tabled his ‘money up front' offer and Southgate has been informed of the bid.

Not so clear at the moment is the McManaman-Barcelona situation with conflicting reports leading to confusion both in England and Spain. One source suggests the Liverpool striker, who almost joined Barca earlier in the season, has been in contact with the club with a view to reviving the deal.

The word from Spain, however, is that McManaman is not among Barcelona's summer transfer targets which include Dutch brothers Frank and Ronald de Boer and Monaco's flying Frenchman Thierry Henri, a wide man in the McManaman mould.

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