FERGIE COUNTING THE COSTA
Alex Ferguson has targeted a second Fiorentina player after being impressed by Rui Costa on a trip to watch striker Gabriel Batistuta. It now looks like Fergie's priority is for a playmaker to work alongside Roy Keane in the Manchester United midfield. Expect an £8m United bid for the Portuguese star in the next few weeks

LEEDS GO DOUBLE DUTCH
Leeds are poised to sign another Dutch striker to go alongside last season's top scorer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The Yorkshire side are close to clinching the signature of Clyde Wijnhard from Willem II for £1.5m. Terms have been agreed but the move has been delayed by 24 hours for medical checks on the 24-year-old, who scored 28 goals in 46 games in the last two seasons in Holland. Chairman Peter Ridsdale said: "George Graham said just before he went on holiday 'Get him' and we have moved quickly and got him."

HOWELLS HEADS NATIONWIDE
Rejected Spurs midfielder David Howells will move to Crystal Palace if Terry Venables becomes the new coach at Selhurst Park. Howells has been handed a free by Christian Gross and is keen to link up with his former boss. Palace are also considering a move for 1997 play-off hero David Hopkin, who is unsettled at Leeds.

INTER TARGET SCOUSE PAIR
Inter president Massimo Moratti is desperate to sign Liverpool duo Jamie Redknapp and Paul Ince. Moratti wants the England midfielders to help give his side the edge over rivals Juventus, pipped to the Italian championship by Juventus. Ince was a big hit with the Inter fans and Moratti regrets letting him return to the Premiership.

SAVO SLAMS BIRMINGHAM
Savo Milosevic did nothing to enhance his reputation in Birmingham by having a parting pop at the city as he headed for new club Real Zaragoza. The Serb had already upset the Villa fans by spitting in their general direction this season, but the boos from the Holte End were not the reason he quit for the continent. Milosevic said: Birmingham was not a good place to live. It was too quiet. Once we went to a restaurant, and there was a big argument with Birmingham City fans.

REDKNAPP IN FOR TOON TWO
West Ham manager Harry Redknapp plans to shore up his leaky defence by moving for Newcastle's Darren Peacock and Shaka Hislop. West Ham saw their Euro dream end when they conceded 15 goals in their last four games of the season and Redknapp reckons the Newcastle reserves are just the men to stop the rot.

LINCOLN MEMORIAL
Bert Loxley and Trevor Peake are guaranteed a place in football history. The lucky pair are the latest entrants in Lincoln City's prestigious Hall of Fame. Loxley and Peake join Andy Graver, Tony Emery, Percy Freeman and John Ward in the Lincoln Hall of Fame.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
There'll be no pre-season jolly to Scandinavia for Jim Smith's Derby team this summer. The Rams chief is keeping his boys on home soil as they prepare for their third season in the Premiership. Derby will play five games away against Nationwide clubs before ending with a high-profile match against Barcelona at Pride Park on August 7th. Smith explained: ''The longer I am in the game, the more inclined I am to do the preliminary work in England.'' Wonder how pleased the Derby players will be as they trudge off to the likes of Walsall and Macclesfield come July?

NEW GARDNER AT SPURS
It looks like Spurs fans will have to cope without the overlapping talents of current left backs Justin Edinburgh and Clive Wilson next season. Christian Gross is planning a move for Jamaica full back Ricardo Gardner, who currently plays for Harbour View. The 20-year-old has already been the subject of a £1m bid from French giants Paris St. Germain.

HEADING FOR HIROSHIMA
Don Goodman's future is in the balance as he waits to see if Wolves will offer him a new deal after his impressive end of season form at Molineux. Wolves boss Mark McGhee is continuing to show interest in Republic of Ireland striker David Connolly, who he tried to lure to the Black Country from Feyenoord on transfer deadline day. Still, if things don't work out for Don at Molineux, he's been approached to play in Japan for Hiroshima.