Football: Derby sign Laursen

Derby County yesterday made their second foreign signing of the close season, the Danish international full-back Jacob Laursen. The pounds 500,000 deal takes the club's spending to pounds 1.5m after the arrival of the Croatian Aljosa Asanovic last week. Jim Smith, the Derby manager, had been chasing Laursen, who was playing for Silkeborg in Denmark, for two months.

West Ham are confident that the Romanian striker Florin Raduciouiu will complete a pounds 2m move from Espanol despite his denials of an approach. Peter Storrie, the West Ham managing director, said: "We have an option agreement with the club and have agreed not to speak to him until after Euro 96 so he can concentrate on that."

Leeds takeover, page 18