Football: United join chase for Sutton: Chairman confirms champions' interest in Norwich striker

MARTIN EDWARDS, the Manchester United chairman, confirmed yesterday that the Double winners had officially joined the chase for Norwich City's striker, Chris Sutton.

Tottenham, Blackburn, Arsenal and Liverpool are also understood to be keen to buy Sutton. The United manager, Alex Ferguson, flew back from a World Cup- watching holiday in the United States on Wednesday to pursue Sutton.

Edwards said that he had spoken to the Carrow Road chairman, Robert Chase, to register officially the Old Trafford side's interest in the player. 'I talked to Robert three or four weeks ago, but he told me that he wasn't going to deal with any possible sale of Chris Sutton until the end of the club's financial year, which was on June 30,' Edwards said.

'He said he would get back to me, although I haven't heard anything from him yet and we certainly did not talk about any possible fee at all.

'I don't want to say too much at this stage, because that might only hamper the negotiations, and anything we might say is between Norwich, ourselves and the player.

'Anything we might say would only fuel the thing and push the price up, but we are interested in talking to Chris Sutton and we're awaiting a call from Robert Chase.'

Tottenham's chairman, Alan Sugar, will consult with lawyers to decide whether to take his fight with the FA over the club's 'irregular payments' punishment to the High Court. Hopes that Sugar would immediately concede defeat in his dealings with Lancaster Gate faded when an early-morning board meeting yesterday delayed a verdict until next week. Andy Gray has been told he can leave Tottenham on a free transfer.

Swindon Town will today sign the Newcastle United full-back, Mark Robinson, for a club-record pounds 600,000.

Tom Forsyth, the former Rangers and Scotland manager, has resigned as Motherwell's No 2.