Leeds could make O'Neill approach at end of season

Peter Reid will learn his fate at Leeds United today when the Premiership club's plc board decides whether to appoint him as manager or speak to its two main alternatives.

Reid is widely tipped to be offered the post and is confident that he has put himself into pole position in the past few weeks, but there may be a surprise twist at the troubled Elland Road club.

Leading Leeds insiders revealed last night that there is a strong lobby to wait for Martin O'Neill to complete his season at Celtic before making an approach, with Nottingham Forest's Paul Hart as the other alternative.

Leicester City's Micky Adams is now out of the running, but the revelation that O'Neill has yet to sign his one-year roll-on agreement has prompted Leeds to consider a past managerial target. While Reid is popular after the win at Arsenal that secured Leeds' survival, there are many within the club who feel that O'Neill is more likely to achieve results in their precarious financial circumstances.

Fulham's plans to name their new manager before Sunday have been put on hold after unexpected talks were lined up with two more candidates to become Jean Tigana's successor. The Cottagers had intended only to interview the six men on their original shortlist, a process completed last week.

Derby County's interim manager George Burley is the favourite on a shortlist understood to include the former Bayer Leverkusen coach Klaus Toppmöller and the ex-Barcelona man Louis van Gaal.

John Gregory faces the sack from Derby today after an internal investigation by the First Division club. Gregory has been suspended for over a month.

Tottenham Hotspur will not be renewing Teddy Sheringham's contract when it runs out at the end of the season, making the former Manchester United striker, 37, a free agent.

Newcastle United hope to sign the Nigerian World Cup centre-back, Isaac Okoronkwo. The Magpies have begun talks with the 25-year-old, who is at the end of his contract with the Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.

Middlesbrough are to talk to Panathinaikos about signing the Greek club's Ghanaian midfielder, Derek Boateng, who has impressed during a trial on Teesside.