LINESMAN SIGNALLED SHEARER 'KICK' Less than 24 hours after an FA committee cleared Alan Shearer of misconduct, it has emerged that linesman Alan Kaye signalled after witnessing the incident in which the England striker appeared to kick Leicester's Neil Lennon. Referee Martin Bodenham missed the signals, however, despite the fact that Kaye used a new electronic impulse system to attract attention. The linesman told the three-man disciplinary panel, which cleared Shearer yesterday, that he attempted to alert Bodenham to the flashpoint on a number of occasions by pressing a special button on his flag, which should then have sounded a buzzer on a wristband worn by the ref. Kaye said the fact that he was overlooked led him to believe that the equipment was faulty. The news is set to cause renewed controversy over a ruling which has been widely seen as a whitewash by an FA panel eager to avoid censuring England's skipper so close to the World Cup. CASIRAGHI TURNING BLUE Pierluigi Casiraghi has cleared the way for his £6m summer move to Chelsea by announcing that he is leaving Italian Cup winners Lazio. The 29-year-old said: "It's not 100% sure that I'll be playing in England, but I think that is how it's going to finish. I don't fit in with Lazio's plans for the future, so it's only right that I should make my choice." SAVO SET FOR ZARAGOZA Savo Milosevic will join Real Zaragoza in a £3.5m deal once he agrees personal terms. The Aston Villa misfit, ready to sign a four-year deal, is currently in Belgrade preparing for the World Cup with his Yugoslavia teammates. Milosevic was signed from Partizan Belgrade for a then-club record £3.5m in the summer of 1995. His Villa days were numbered after he spat at the club's own fans during a 5-0 defeat at Blackburn in January - an incident for which he was fined and transfer-listed by then-manager Brian Little. UNITED TARGET GABRIEL IS NO ANGEL CLAIMS TAX MAN Manchester United's Argentinean target Gabriel Batistuta is under investigation for alleged tax evasion. The Fiorentina player, who is set to quit the Serie A club this summer, has had £33,000 of his assets frozen by the Argentine authorities as part of a crackdown on dodgers. The government says Batistuta owes £83,000 from his 1991 transfer from Boca Juniors to the Italian side, but it won't affect the player's World Cup chances. Coach Daniel Passarella was recently in hot water himself over the importing of a yacht. BOOGERS OFF West Ham's £1m flop, Marco Boogers, was released by the club yesterday - more than two years after he last played for the Hammers. The Dutch striker was probably the biggest mistake of Harry Redknapp's managerial career when he was signed from Sparta Rotterdam in July 1995. Boogers made just one start, which lasted only 15 minutes before he was sent off at Old Trafford for an horrific foul on Gary Neville. Boogers made just three other substitute appearances before emerging after a break in Holland to deny reports that he was "mentally unfit" and living in a caravan. FOXES SUPREMO RESIGNS Leicester chairman Tom Smeaton has stepped down because of other outside commitments after nearly two years in the job. The man who guided the club through its stock market flotation last year oversaw one of the most successful spells in Leicester's history, during which they won the Coca-Cola Cup, finished ninth and tenth in the Premiership and entered European competition for the first time in 30 years. STRIKER Tony Cottee says he is in no hurry to hang up his boots after scoring twice against former club West Ham in the season's final game. As long as I enjoy football, I will keep playing, he said. I have one year left on my contract at Leicester but playing on Sunday was like coming home. West Ham is my home and it was a fantastic day for me personally. STRACHAN EYES FRENCH TITLE WINNER Coventry boss Gordon Strachan is interested in defender Jean-Guy Wallemme, who won the French title with Lens at the weekend. Said Strachan: We've watched him several times. He is good on the ball but can also play as a stopper and is one of several players we have been watching." NICOL LEAVES OWLS' NEST Sheffield Wednesday have released veteran midfielder Steve Nicol and on-loan Austrian striker Christian Mayrleb. Former Liverpool midfielder Nicol may return to West Bromwich Albion, where he spent the tail-end of this season on loan.

NATIONWIDE NEWS ROUND-UP   BOURNEMOUTH Manager Mel Machin has paid tribute to young defender Eddie Howe for his inclusion in England's Under-21 squad for the Toulon tournament. Said Machin: ''It is no more than Eddie deserves. I'm confident he won't let anyone down." DARLINGTON Manager David Hodgson wants to bring loan star Craig Little to Feethams permanently. Middlesbrough have quoted a fee for the 26-year-old centre back and Hodgson said: I will do my best to get him. MANSFIELD TOWN Boss Steve Parkin has revealed he hopes to sign a new two-year deal by the end of the week and has offered new deals to out-of-contract trio Scott Eustace, Ian Bowling and Lee Williams. NOTTINGHAM FOREST First Division champions Nottingham Forest have handed French utility player Thierry Bonalair a new one-year contract. The 31-year-old joined Forest on a 12-month deal last summer. PETERBOROUGH UNITED Reserve goalkeeper Bart Grieminck has ended speculation about a summer switch to Dundee United by signing a new two-year deal with the Posh. The Dutchman will become first choice again soon with United ready to sell in-form Mark Tyler. PORTSMOUTH Chairman Martin Gregory is to rule on whether the club can afford Alan McLoughlin's demands for a new three-year contract. Boss Alan Ball is keen to keep the Republic of Ireland midfielder but McLoughlin admitted: "It's now all down to the chairman to see if the right contract can be sorted out and now I'm just waiting on him." SWINDON TOWN Welsh international defender Gareth Hall has moved to the County Ground from Sunderland on a Bosman free. Said Robins boss Steve McMahon: "He's just the type of player I've been after. He's a versatile defender, best known as a full back though he can operate anywhere across the back line. WALSALL Port Vale coach Ray Graydon will be named Walsall's new manager later this week. The former Southampton coach was on the staff at Bescot Stadium during Chris Nicholl's reign three seasons ago.

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