Football: Kendall poised to offer pounds 7m for Cole

Howard Kendall, the Everton manager, is ready to make a pounds 7m offer to Manchester United for Andy Cole. Kendall is keen to sign Cole after hearing that the Old Trafford striker is growing restless under Alex Ferguson.

Cole is unhappy that his United place is under threat again with the new signing, Teddy Sheringham, more likely to team up with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Cole will not settle for a seat on the bench and he should know his fate on Sunday when United face Chelsea in the Charity Shield.

Kendall is preparing for Cole to be overlooked by Ferguson and has been told he can spend a record sum on him by the chairman, Peter Johnson. Everton are desperate for a proven scorer after being turned down by Fabrizio Ravanelli and Les Ferdinand in the last fortnight.

Kendall has already enquired once for Cole this summer but was told by Ferguson that he was not for sale. However, Ferguson could change his mind and United's plc board may consider the chance of getting their money back on Cole too good to refuse.

The former soldier Lee Bradbury yesterday became Manchester City's record signing. Frank Clark, the City manager, agreed to pay Portsmouth pounds 3m for the 22-year-old striker. Bradbury, who cost Portsmouth pounds 500 from his Isle of Wight home town club, Cowes, and had a loan spell with Exeter, was attracting interest from the likes of Everton, Leeds, Southampton, Wolves and Birmingham.

Leeds have been ordered to pay Nottingham Forest pounds 1.6m for the Norwegian international Alf-Inge Haland by a Football League tribunal. The clubs had been unable to agree on a fee for Haland, who was out of contract at the City Ground. Forest wanted pounds 4m and Leeds offered only pounds 500,000 for the 24-year-old midfielder.

Crystal Palace are hoping to make the Israeli midfielder Itzhak Zohar their next signing. Zohar is currently with Palace after joining them during the club's tour of Finland a week ago from Royal Antwerp of Belgium, but Palace are currently waiting for a work permit for the 26-year-old.

Sunderland have signed the Cambridge central defender Jody Craddock for an initial outlay of pounds 300,000 rising to pounds 500,000 after an undisclosed number of appearances. David Kelly's proposed pounds 350,000 move from Sunderland to their First Division rivals Tranmere has fallen through, though.

Steve Stone, the England winger, is ready to make a dramatic return from injury for Nottingham Forest in 10 days' time - nearly two months ahead of schedule. Stone was expected to have to wait until the beginning of October to complete his recovery from a snapped patella suffered last August, but the 25-year-old is expected to get the go-ahead today to be able to play in Saturday's friendly against Leeds.

The Brazilian international midfielder Denilson looks poised for a pounds 20m move to Barcelona from Sao Paulo, according to Spanish newspaper reports yesterday.