Paganin Liverpool bound

Liverpool look to have won the pounds 3.5m race to sign the Internazionale defender Massimo Paganin. The 27-year-old is expected on Merseyside today to discuss personal terms.

Paganin's friendship with his former Inter team-mate and new Liverpool captain, Paul Ince, seems to have been instrumental in Liverpool's move for the Italian.

Tony Yeboah seems set to sign for Hamburg after agreeing personal terms. The pounds 1m deal for the 31-year-old Leeds striker had looked in doubt yesterday due to what Leeds' managing director Jeremy Fenn described as "unexpected further developments".

However, the Ghanaian international has now settled any differences he had with the German club and is expected to fly out early next week to undergo a rigorous medical.

Celtic are to be given 3,000 tickets for their Uefa Cup tie with Liverpool at Anfield on 1 October. It had been expected that no away fans would be allowed at the game because the Anfield Road end of the stadium is being redeveloped. But fears that Scottish fans would travel to the game without tickets prompted urgent discussions between the two clubs.

Gerry Taggart has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad for next week's World Cup qualifier against Albania in Zurich because of a hamstring injury.

Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, wants referees to become full-time professionals and has called for the use of high technology. Wenger said: "Referees need more time to prepare for matches without having to think about work or business commitments." He also wants two referees to officiate at matches, with the responsibility for time-keeping taken away from them.

Bolton are giving a three-week trial to an Australian striker, Jimmy Tsennis, who made an immediate impression by scoring twice in the reserves' 5-2 win at Notts County on Wednesday.

The Norwich defender Carl Bradshaw has been imprisoned for six weeks for assaulting a taxi driver. The 28-year-old has also been fined two weeks' wages.