Forest close to signing Saunders

Football

Football

Dean Saunders will join Nottingham Forest next week for pounds 1.5m from Galatasaray. Forest have all but rubber-stamped the deal that will see the former Derby, Liverpool and Aston Villa striker return to the Premiership after a year's absence.

Saunders is due in Nottingham within the next 10 days to have a medical and sign for the Premiership club.

Huddersfield yesterday insisted they had not agreed a pounds 2.5m deal with Sheffield Wed- nesday for Andy Booth, but said they would listen to offers for the 22- year-old striker, who has struck 65 goals in three seasons.

Ben Thatcher, Millwall's former England Under-21 left back, is expected to sign for Leicester City today for pounds 1.4m.

Barry Fry is to make his first signing since becoming owner-manager of Second Division Peterborough last month. Fry, who brought in 61 players in his two and a half years as Birmingham's manager, hopes to break the club transfer record by buying the Wimbledon striker Andy Clarke, 28, for pounds 250,000.

Adrian Heath will make the Portuguese Under-21 striker Bambo his first signing for Burnley. Heath met the Boavista player on Wednesday after he flew into Lancashire and the pounds 200,000 transfer will be completed immediately.