Football: Little hints in chase for Gascoigne

Chelsea and Everton yesterday dropped out of the running to provide Paul Gascoigne with a home in English football, while Aston Villa gave a tantalising hint that the Rangers and England midfielder could still be moving to the Midlands.

It was left to Brian Little to keep everyone on tenterhooks. "There is a possibility that we might have somebody here by next week," he said, again insisted that any moves to sign the former Tottenham player, for whom Villa have tabled a pounds 4m bid, will not happen until after next week's Uefa Cup tie in Athletic Bilbao.

There was no mystery about the new face at Southampton, where the 29- year-old David Hirst became the Saints' most expensive signing at pounds 2m from Sheffield Wednesday.

The Football League is to consider turning the Coca-Cola Cup into an Anglo-Scottish competition with the final played at either Wembley or Hampden.

The League chairman, David Sheepshanks, said: "I think now is a good time to seriously discuss a British Cup."