UNITED GOING BATI MANCHESTER United are interested in signing Fiorentina's Argentine World Cup star Gabriel Batistuta! But before you Reds get to excited, the source of this interest isn't Old Trafford or Italy, it's the player's agent. The 29-year-old striker plans to quit the Serie A team in the summer after seven seasons, claiming he wants to leave at the top of his game and not fall out of favour with the fans or management. Agent Settimio Aloisio said: ''Batistuta's decision is definitive he will not be coming back to play in Florence. Gabriel wants to leave and nobody will make him change his mind. There are a lot of people interested Roma, Parma, Real Madrid and Manchester United. I've also heard that Lazio are interested, but I have had no contact with them. I hope it can all be cleared up before the World Cup.'' Batistuta has scored 24 goals this season taking his career total with the club to 150 in the first and second division, winning only the 1996 Italian Cup. The Italian season ends this Saturday. 'SWEENEY' TODD WIELDS THE AXE COLIN TODD has released four players including on-loan Swiss striker Gaetano Giallanza, who missed a golden opportunity to score the goal that would have kept Bolton in the Premiership against Chelsea on Sunday. Giallanza, who came to The Reebok in March, somehow managed to miss a deflected Alan Thompson shot when the merest touch with his head would have put the ball into an unguarded net from six yards out. He missed it, Bolton lost and Everton's draw with Coventry kept the Merseysiders up on goal difference. Other shows the door by Todd are central defender Chris Fairclough, who was an ever-present as the Trotters won promotion in 1997 but has missed almost all of this past season with injuries, midfielder John Sheridan and ex-Coventry City winger John Salako. Todd is pursuing contract talks with centre half Gerry Taggart, who is out of contract and could leave on a free. CORT OUT FOR TOULON TRIP WIMBLEDON striker Carl Cort, Peterborough goalkeeper Mark Tyler and Oxford defender Paul Powell have been left out of England's final 18-man party for the Toulon Under-21 tournament in France. Cort's exclusion was odd considering boss Peter Taylor was picking without injured strikers Danny Murphy (Liverpool), Matt Jansen (Crystal Palace)and Kevin Davies (Southampton). England's campaign kicks off against France in Nimes tomorrow night. EURO FINAL AIRPORT CHAOS TRANSPORT chaos could force UEFA to pull next week's European Cup Final out of Amsterdam. Dutch authorities say they can't guarantee that flights carrying the players and fans of Real Madrid and Juventus will be able to land or take off at Schiphol airport because their schedules are already full for next Wednesday. They suggest fans fly to Eindhoven or Rotterdam and make their way to Amsterdam from there. UEFA have already turned down an offer from the two clubs to play the final over two legs in Madrid and Turin.

FOOTBALL365 NEWS ROUND-UP   MILLWALL Legendary former player Keith ‘Rhino' Stevens has been named as the Lions' new manager, assisted by his old Millwall team-mate Alan McLeary. Chairman Theo Paphitis, who sacked manager Billy Bonds last week after the club finished just above the Division Two drop zone, said: A lot of people will say this is a huge gamble but I weighed up whether an established manager from outside was right for Millwall. These two lads epitomise what the club is all about. MANCHESTER CITY The Whitley brothers could soon be lining up on opposite sides in international football. Both have been called up into Northern Ireland squads, but while Jeff, 19, has come on twice as a substitute, 23-year-old Jim hasn't played and has now been named in the Wales party for upcoming friendlies in Malta and Tunisia. The Whitleys were born in Zambia, but have British passports and FIFA rules mean they can choose to play for any of the home nations. BRISTOL CITY John Ward has been named as Manager of the Year by the Football League Managers Association after leading City into Division One. ''It was unexpected, because it's usually the manager who has won the league that gets it, he said. It gives me great pleasure that people have thought a lot about myself and Bristol City and that we are seen and respected as a football club.'' OLDHAM ATHLETIC Former striker Andy Ritchie has returned to Boundary Park as the new manager, replacing Neil Warnock. After spells with Manchester United, Leeds and Brighton, Ritchie moved to Oldham in 1987 and scored 82 league goals as they climbed into England's top flight and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, before moving on to Scarborough in 1995. SCOTLAND ABERDEEN Midfielder Paul Barnard has been told he can leave Aberdeen on a free transfer, only months after signing a new contract. The former Scotland Under-21 international has been plagued by injuries at Pittodrie. DUNDEE The First Division champions have been officially granted entry into the inaugural Scottish Premiership. The decision follows Dundee's assurances that they will redevelop Dens Park outfit to meet the 10,000 seated capacity demanded in the new organisation's entry criteria. A Premier League spokesman said: ''We welcome Dundee and look forward to their contribution. Dundee have demonstrated a clear commitment to funding the stadia criteria which were set down by the Premiership clubs in formulating the new League.''

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