Football: Wednesday set to sign Hinchcliffe in pounds 3m deal

Andy Hinchcliffe's on-off departure from Everton is expected to be settled today when the England defender completes a pounds 3m move to Sheffield Wednesday.

Ron Atkinson sees the 28-year-old Hinchcliffe as the solution to Wednesday's left-back problem. An added incentive for the Wednesday manager is that Hinchcliffe is not barred from the FA Cup and would be available should the Hillsborough club beat their fourth-round opponents, Blackburn Rovers, tonight.

Hinchcliffe is fit after a minor Achilles tendon problem prevented a move to Tottenham Hotspur three weeks ago. Everton were furious when Spurs withdrew at the last minute denying Howard Kendall the cash he needs to buy players and ensure the Merseysiders' recent revival does not falter.

Hinchcliffe has yet to agree personal terms with Wednesday, but that should not be a problem. He is also due to collect pounds 500,000 from Everton for abandoning a lengthy contract.

Newcastle United look likely to beat Leicester City to the signing of Andrew Griffin. Stoke City have accepted Kenny Dalglish's offer of pounds 1.5m, rising to pounds 2.5m depending on appearances and international caps, for the England Under-18 left-back.

Lou Macari, the former Celtic, West Ham and Stoke manager, may be the man to replace Russell Osman in charge at Cardiff City.

Samesh Kumar, the Cardiff chairman, said: "He has a proven record at this level and is someone with whom I have worked before. He has the ability to get the best out of the players at his disposal and I'm not concerned that he has been out of football for some time."

Macari worked with Kumar when he owned Birmingham City in the early 1990s.