Football: Paganin set to replace Pearce

Newcastle United are to make a pounds 3.8m bid for the Internazionale defender, Massimo Paganin. The Magpies' manager, Kenny Dalglish, has tabled an offer for the centre-half who is also a target for Liverpool.

Newcastle's move for Paganin is timely as Stuart Pearce faces a spell on the sidelines with an injury he picked up against Croatia Zagreb.

The Football League yesterday rejected Brighton and Hove Albion's plans to share Millwall's New Den for the rest of the season. While the League had given the green light for the club to play their "home" games at Gillingham this term and for another two seasons, the plans to move instead to south London were turned down.

While Millwall were happy to see their ground used every week, there were objections to the proposal - the most pressing coming from the police, which swayed the decision of the League's Board of Directors.

Tomas Brolin's unhappy stay at Leeds United is about to end if he can agree personal terms with the Spanish club, Real Zaragoza. The Leeds manager, George Graham, confirmed yesterday that the two clubs had agreed an undisclosed fee for the Swedish striker.

Bolton are the latest club to pursue Petter Rudi, the Norwegian international midfielder who is also being chased by Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton - but not Wimbledon, despite their links with Rudi's club, Molde.

The Scotland and Celtic striker, Darren Jackson, has been ruled out of action for at least three months because of a neurological problem.

Celtic's general manager, Jock Brown, stressed last night that Jackson is not suffering from a brain tumour, but he did admit that the illness could be career-threatening.

The illness first came to light on Tuesday, when Jackson missed Celtic's Uefa Cup victory against Tirol Innsbruck. "Very extensive tests followed, and there was a problem which affects Darren's brain," Brown explained yesterday.