Football: Spurs fix fee for Nowak

Tottenham Hotspur are signing Peter Nowak, Poland's veteran midfielder, in an emergency pounds 600,000 deal. A price was agreed yesterday by Nowak's German club, 1860 Munich, and a two-year contract worth around pounds 500,000 this season has also been negotiated ahead of a work permit. A consistent performer for both club and country, Nowak is being allowed to move because he could go for nothing at the end of the season.

Sunderland are also waiting for a work permit for Jovan Kirovski, an American striker who they have arranged to sign for pounds 800,000 from Borussia Dortmund.

Jim Magilton's move from Southampton to Celtic has been called off by the Scottish club's general manager, Jock Brown. Brown halted negotiations for the Northern Ireland international midfield player, who had been told at the start of the week that he was Celtic's next transfer target. He is out of contract he was allowed to start discussions about a pounds 500,000 move.

Celtic later confirmed that the 31-year-old midfielder Peter Grant had moved to Norwich in a pounds 200,000 three-year deal, and that the striker Jorge Cadete had been granted the transfer he wanted for family reasons.

Ruud Gullit has criticised the City rumour-mongers after reports appeared on stockmarket trading screens that the Chelsea manager had been killed in a car accident. Such rumours could have reduced the price of shares in the club's holding company, Chelsea Village, allowing dealers to profit when the truth emerged. Chelsea stopped the rumours, and the shares closed 50p down.

"For people to want to make a profit out of shares in this way is completely without taste," Gullit said.

Barnsley have failed in their attempt to sign the striker Iain Dowie from West Ham in time for the visit of Chelsea tomorrow. Their manager, Danny Wilson, had hoped to complete the pounds 500,000 deal yesterday.

Aston Villa have accepted Tranmere's offer of pounds 60,000 for the striker Neil Davis. Leeds have turned down a request from Crewe to take the transfer- listed Carlton Palmer on loan.