Football: Hughes is on Bruce's wanted list

STEVE BRUCE wants his former Manchester United team-mate Mark Hughes to join him at Huddersfield after being told by the the Yorkshire club's owner, Barry Rubery, that he can recruit a pair of high-profile signings.

The Welsh veteran is available at Southampton, but is on a large contract. If the fee is low enough the deal may go ahead, especially as Hughes still lives near Manchester.

Bruce, who left Sheffield United last week, has begun to restructure the coaching staff. His predecessor's assistant, Terry Yorath, yesterday left the club and will be replaced by the new Huddersfield manager's own appointment, the Sheffield United coach John Deehan.

The Norway international Eirik Bakke yesterday signed a pounds 1.75m, five- year contract with Leeds United, having already agreed personal terms, to become the first of David O'Leary's summer signings. The 21-year-old central midfielder was desperate to return to Leeds after a week's trial towards the end of the season. Bakke, who made his international debut as a substitute in last week's 6-0 defeat of Jamaica, was impressed by both O'Leary and Leeds.

Seen as one of the bright young stars of Norwegian football, Bakke said: "When I was at Leeds I enjoyed it very much and I really wanted to come back. It will be an honour to play for them because they are fast becoming one of the best teams in England."

Leeds will initially pay Sogndal pounds 1m for Bakke, who made his final appearance for the club in a 3-0 defeat at Viking Stavanger on Monday night, with the remainder due in a year's time.

The Leeds managing director, Jeremy Fenn, meanwhile, is to resign from the club at the end of July "to pursue wider ambitions".

The Fulham manager, Paul Bracewell, is ready to sign the former West Ham midfielder Matt Holland from Ipswich for pounds 2m. Bracewell hopes to complete the deal in the next 48 hours after making an offer yesterday for the player. Bracewell also had talks with the Wigan left-back Kevin Sharp, who is available on a free transfer.

The Wolves manager, Colin Lee, has agreed to stay on at Molineux following lengthy talks with the club. Lee and his assistant, John Ward, are to sign two-year contracts after guiding Wolves to the brink of the First Division play-offs.

Hearts have announced half-year pre-tax profits of pounds 1.3m. The Scottish Premier League side have turned round a deficit of pounds 500,000 for the similar period last year, although the major factor has been the pounds 2m sale of Neil McCann to Rangers.

The former Tottenham striker Jurgen Klinsmann has been named as a German football federation ambassador, to promote his country's bid to stage the 2006 World Cup.