Smith is eager to sign £2m Ashton

Walter Smith, Everton's manager, is hoping his club can put together a £2m transfer package that will encourage Crewe Alexandra to part with their teenage striker, Dean Ashton, before rivals, notably Liverpool, can make a move.

Smith, whose playing strength has been severely reduced by injuries, could offer Ashton a place in his first-team squad and, with Kevin Campbell and Duncan Ferguson ruled out, possibly a debut against Southampton on Sunday.

Ashton, who was 18 last Saturday, has only been a Crewe regular for a few months but is already seen as a future England player. He would be considered a good investment, whose value would rise very quickly if he developed as expected.

Arsenal have already had a £1m offer for the Crewe-born player turned down, but Smith is more concerned that Liverpool could use their close links with Crewe as a lever to lure Ashton to Anfield. Smith's main hope lies in the fact that Liverpool have already committed themselves to the Czech Milan Baros and the French prospect Florent Sinama Pongolle.

Crewe's manager, Dario Gradi, does not like to see young players move to the Premiership too soon and then languish in the reserves, but that would probably not be the case with Ashton.

Coventry City have signed the Portsmouth striker Lee Mills on a month's loan after the 31-year-old fell out of favour at Fratton Park. Mills will provide cover while Julian Joachim completes his recovery from an ankle injury.

Hull City have signed the former Stockport County midfielder Richard Sneekes on a free transfer until the end of the season. Sneekes, 34, began his career with Ajax in his home town of Amsterdam and signed for Bolton Wanderers in 1994 before more on for a successful spell with West Bromwich Albion.

Sheffield Wednesday's manager, Terry Yorath, has admitted his interest in the unsettled Manchester City striker Paul Dickov but has denied making an approach for the player.The Owls are reported to be ready to meet City's asking price of £300,000 for the 29-year-old, who has failed to break into Kevin Keegan's line-up at Maine Road.

Yorath said: "If I mentioned £300,000 to my chairman [Geoff Hulley] he'd fall over backwards laughing – we can't afford that. There has been no contact between the two clubs, but I have spoken about bringing him with the chairman. I'm interested in him, but I am interested in a lot of players."

Darlington have sacked the defender Alex Jeannin after the Frenchman broke the club's drinking curfew. Jeannin was spotted drinking in a Darlington nightclub last Thursday and Friday night, ahead of the Quakers' 7-1 defeat at Scunthorpe United, and has had his two-year contract terminated.

Barry Fry, the former Birmingham City manager, believes that the uncertainty over if or when Steve Bruce will take charge is harming the First Division club. Mick Mills and Jim Barron have been acting as caretaker joint managers since Trevor Francis's departure. Fry, who managed the club for three years in the 1990s, said: "It is an impossible situation for Mick and Jim, it is impossible for the players and it's impossible for the fans."