Gascoigne scores with boot deal

Paul Gascoigne is set to become the richest player in Britain, if he isn't already, after landing a staggering boot contract which rewards him for every goal he scores, writes Clive White.

Promotion of the Adidas Predator boot seems certain to result in a killing for the Rangers midfielder, who could earn as much as pounds 20,000 for scoring a hat-trick, thanks to a unique pay-as-you-score five-year deal. And that is is on top of a pounds 2.5m signing-on fee for wearing the specially constructed boot, which is the invention of Craig Johnston, the former Liverpool player.

The 60-page agreement uses a sliding scale to decide the size of the bonus Gazza will be paid, anything from pounds 2,000 for a tap-in to pounds 10,000 for the winning goal in next year's European Championship final.

"The bigger the game, the bigger the stage and the better the goal the more money we will have to pay out," said an Adidas spokesman. "It's a great challenge for him and I'm sure he will be trying from all distances and angles to get the big pay out."

Gareth Taylor's pounds 1.8m move from Bristol Rovers to Crystal Palace is in danger of collapsing due to concern over a cruciate ligament injury suffered by the Welsh Under-21 international two years ago. The Rovers chairman, Geoff Dunford, however, warned Palace that if there was an attempt now to renegotiate the fee it would "put the move in doubt".

Marco Boogers, West Ham's stay-away Dutch striker, is to remain with the club after talks with Harry Redknapp, the manager. Boogers, signed for pounds 800,000 from Sparta Rotterdam, will be fined after over-staying his leave during a return to the Netherlands.

Bolton have agreed a fee which they put at pounds 700,000 and Raith Rovers at pounds 900,000 for the Scottish club's full back, Steve McAnespie. Millwall have signed the Nottingham Forest winger, Kingsley Black, on a month's loan with a view to a permanent move.

Ned Zelic, QPR's pounds 1.3m signing from Borussia Dortmund, will be out of action for a further month following a knee operation. While Mark Hateley's pounds 1.5m move from Rangers to Loftus Road hinges on the outcome of a medical.

The Internazionale chairman, Massimo Moratti, has confirmed that he wants to appoint the Englishman, Roy Hodgson, the Swiss national manager, as coach. The San Siro club, who signed Paul Ince from Manchester United in the summer, have suffered another bad week, sacking their coach, Ottavio Bianchi, and then having their Uefa Cup challenge ended at the first hurdle by the Swiss club, Lugano.

Moratti, an oil baron, has installed Luisito Suarez as careteker coach, but said Inter are interested in signing Hodgson, who guided Switzerland to the second round of the 1994 World Cup finals. Moratti acknowledged, however, that his ambitions would have to remain on hold, at least until it became clear whether Switzerland would qualify for next year's European Championships finals.