Football: Board blocks Evans' move for Sheringham

Roy Evans hopes to sign Teddy Sheringham to team up with Robbie Fowler in Liverpool's attack next season, but he is having difficulty selling the idea to the Anfield board.

The Liverpool manager has told the board of his desire to spend a large chunk, probably pounds 4m, of the pounds 7m raised by the sale of Stan Collymore on bringing the England forward to the club but, although he is sure Sheringham would be keen on the move, the Anfield board considers that, at 31, he is too old. What, it wonders, would be his resale value?

Liverpool would prefer Evans to find younger players and he could yet try to intercept Danny Murphy's move from Crewe to Newcastle. There is also interest in the Monaco midfielder Ali Benarbia, while Leicester's Emile Heskey may be a younger alternative to Sheringham.

Southampton have assured any potential managerial candidates after the departure of Graeme Souness, who resigned on Saturday along with the club's director of football, Lawrie McMenemy, that cash is available to strengthen the side for next season. Souness had asked for pounds 7m to finance summer spendings, but he had his request rejected.

Some fans were angered by the club allowing Souness to walk out after steering the club clear of relegation, but the board issued a statement yesterday saying that it was safeguarding the club's financial future while still providing funds for the next manager.

The club also said current players deserved credit for their ability and commitment. "We're sure we can attract similar team players to this club in the future and we will use our chequebook to do it where we can," the board said in its statement. "At this stage it's as much about bottle as it is about millions."

The statement added: "A further priority is to explain the situation to our fans. No one here is pretending that we have the commercial resources of a Manchester United or the millionaire benefactors of Middlesbrough or Blackburn Rovers. The board's role is to improve our resources. We can't spend what we don't have, and we won't be serving anyone if the club's financial position deteriorates to the point of insolvency, as we have seen elsewhere."

The board said it was vitally important that the club moved to a new stadium. A move, it said, would "dramatically change our financial position. Meanwhile, we do have funds to spend on the team. The supporters should know that and so should the incoming manager."

The board also expressed concern over "damaging things" that had been said. "We must move quickly to repair that damage over the summer," the board said. "The club deserves no less and the board believes it can deliver what the fans want most: a united and motivated group of individuals capable of footballing and financial success."

Manchester City's lucrative new deal for their Georgian international midfielder, Georgi Kinkladze, is already paying off. City have been taking more than pounds 20,000 a day in new season ticket sales since Kinkladze signed a new three-year deal nine days ago.

The club's chairman, Francis Lee, who personally conducted the negotiations with Kinkladze, said: "We are all absolutely delighted Georgi's staying with us."

Colin Harvey, who has been working as No 2 at Burnley, is making a surprise return to Everton. Harvey's former role at the club, that of manager, is vacant, but he is being brought in to develop the youth side of the club. However, he will be the senior coach - as the rest of the staff have left.