Bolton start a Stubbs auction

Football

Football

GUY HODGSON

Bolton Wanderers succumbed to the inevitable last night when they agreed to sell their captain and England B centre-half, Alan Stubbs, to the highest bidder. The fee is expected to be well in excess of pounds 4m.

The future of Stubbs' other unsettled colleague, Jason McAteer, is less clear. Bolton hope to persuade the Republic of Ireland international to stay but whether their resolve will withstand a bid of around pounds 5m - most likely to come from Arsenal - remains debatable.

Bolton finally relented to let Stubbs, 23, go under the weight of the player's discontent and the offer of around pounds 8.5m for both players that was made by Blackburn on Tuesday. At the weekend Stubbs, who has been booed by Wanderers supporters during matches, said: "I deserve better after eight years and getting them into the Premiership. I still want to get away and play for a top club."

Rather than welcome the champions' overtures, however, Bolton have elected to hold an auction for Stubbs, informing all the interested parties. These include Arsenal and Liverpool but as neither is weak at centre-back they are unlikely to hold their nerve as long as Blackburn. Whatever the outcome, Bolton expect to complete Stubbs' transfer over the weekend.

Blackburn have suffered three successive defeats during which their defence has surrendered its flinty image and Stubbs would form a seemingly formidable partnership at centre-back with Colin Hendry. "New faces are a necessity," their manager, Ray Harford, admitted this week. "I would like more competition for places."

Yesterday's events will come as less than welcome news to Arsenal, who regarded McAteer as the greater catch and whose need for midfield reinforcement was underlined when it was revealed that David Platt, their pounds 4.75m signing from Sampdoria, will take longer than expected to recover from knee surgery.

Doctors found two tears in the cartilage. An operation that can take five minutes lasted 50 and the England captain is expected to be out for nine weeks.

Arsenal made a pounds 3.75m bid for McAteer last month and have been linked with Stubbs ever since their manager, Bruce Rioch, ended his three-year period in charge at Bolton to move to Highbury in June. "It's no secret I have made offers," Rioch, said, "and if Bolton change their mind they will let me know. They are honourable people and that is the way they have always gone about their business."

Leeds United also hope to do business next week when their long-running pursuit of Faustino Asprilla, the Parma striker, should come to a conclusion. Asprilla is in Britain for Colombia's international against England and Leeds anticipate talking to him if they can persuade the Italians to accept a smaller fee. They have bid a club record pounds 5m, which falls below Parma's estimation.

"They want too much," Bill Fotherby, Leeds' managing director, said, "and we will not pay. We have made an offer which we consider to be realistic and it rests there. They have to come back to us. While we're talking there's always a possible deal to be done."

Crystal Palace have signed the experienced defender Tony Gale, who won a championship medal with Blackburn last season. The 35-year-old Londoner was previously with Fulham and West Ham.

Reid on a mission, page 26