Football: Minto chooses Chelsea

CHELSEA yesterday signed the England Under-21 international Scott Minto on a three-year contract for pounds 775,000 from Charlton Athletic. Subsequent fees based on appearances and England caps could boost the figure towards pounds 1m.

Minto, 22, was out of contract and had also attracted the interest of Arsenal. The Chelsea manager, Glenn Hoddle, had tried to sign him before the transfer deadline in a players-plus-cash deal involving Tony Cascarino and Anthony Barness.

Tottenham have offered pounds 2.3m for Olympique Marseille's defender Basile Boli, who is set to join a series of leading players leaving the club since they were relegated to the French Second Division following a match-rigging scandal. Lazio and Arsenal are also intereseted in the French international.

Everton have dropped their appeal against the pounds 125,000 penalty imposed on them for poaching their manager, Mike Walker, from Norwich City.

Archie Gemmill has been sacked from his coaching post at Nottingham Forest, whose manager, Frank Clark, expects to make a new appointment within a week.