Keegan lines up Sommeil and Reiziger signings

Kevin Keegan is trying to make a double signing, with Bordeaux's £5m-rated centre-half David Sommeil and Barcelona's Michael Reiziger heading for Maine Road, both on pay-as-you-play deals.

The Dutch international Reiziger, 29, arrived in England yesterday to discuss a four-year contract after Barcelona agreed that he could leave in a deal which could cost about £2.5m. Keegan could make it two signings in two days, as Sommeil, 28, is due to fly in today. He could join on loan initially, with the payment delayed until the end of the season to help City budget for the buy. City's bid to sign the South African World Cup striker Benedict McCarthy on loan from Celta Vigo failed yesterday when the Spanish club turned down the approach.

Tottenham are making a new move for Bolton's Michael Ricketts by offering the versatile Republic of Ireland Gary Doherty in a swap deal.

Ricketts is still valued at between £4m and £5m by Bolton. Doherty is priced at about £1.2m. Cardiff City have already tried to sign him, but he is reluctant to drop to the Second Division.

Manchester United are ready to complete the signing of Sunderland's French forward David Bellion, who will cost United about £1m. The low fee is because he is out of contract at the end of the season and could have left for a price decided by a tribunal.

The Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce is in talks with the Slovakian international striker Robert Vittek about a £3m transfer. Vittek, who played against England in a European Championship qualifier last year, was at St Andrew's for a medical yesterday.

Everton have confirmed they are in discussions with Celtic over the Republic of Ireland midfielder Colin Healy. The 22-year-old's Celtic contract expires in the summer, when he would be available for a nominal fee.

Everton's loan signing from the Egyptian club Al-Ahly, Ibrahim Said, has been granted a work permit. The 23-year-old Egyptian international defender will now sign a deal to stay at Goodison Park until the end of the season.

West Bromwich Albion's hopes of signing the Macedonian international Artem Sakiri have faded after talks with CSKA Sofia collapsed.

Fifa confirmed yesterday that both Fulham and Lyon have asked for assistance in the wrangle over the transfer of Steve Marlet. The French international striker joined the Premiership club for £11.5m in August 2001 and Lyon have asked football's world governing body to step in to make the Cottagers pay the outstanding balance of almost £3m.

However, Fulham have requested adjudication as they have questioned the role played by agents during the transfer. A Fifa spokesman said: "The Players' Status Committee will look at the case but no date has been set for a decision. It is pending and should be dealt with within the next few weeks."

Graeme Souness is facing his third ban in nine months after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association yesterday.

The day after his side ground out a dogged 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Worthington Cup semi-final against Manchester United, the Blackburn Rovers manager was charged with "improper conduct and abusive and/or insulting language" towards match officials relating to Rovers' previous match in the competition last month.

When Blackburn beat Wigan Athletic 2-0, he was sent from the dug-out for the third time in 2002 after an altercation with the fourth official, Matt Messias. Souness confronted Messias on the touchline, appearing to poke him in the chest, before Messias alerted the referee, Andy D'Urso.

Souness, who has 14 days to respond to the charge, was previously banned for three games by the FA in November and fined £15,000 for abusing Steve Bennett, the referee for a league game against Liverpool. He was also banned for one match and fined £10,000 in April for abusing Graham Barber last February.