Football: Tel moves for Southgate

TERRY VENABLES will this week move for Gareth Southgate to fill the void left by Rio Ferdinand's record breaking move to Manchester United.

With heavy financial restrictions in place at Leeds, Venables has identified the England defender as the ideal budget-buy to compensate for the loss of Ferdinand.

Although the Leeds boss has considered a number of targets including Chelsea's William Gallas and Valencia's talented defender Robert Ayala, their fees in excess of pounds 10million have effectively ruled out the chance of either moving to Elland Road.

It has been made abundantly clear to the former England boss that he would need to make further sales to finance any big money move.

With Robbie Keane and Olivier Dacourt reluctant to make moves that would provide Venables with a much needed injection of cash, he has turned his attention to Southgate, 31.

The former Aston Villa defender would cost a shade over pounds 4m, well within Venables' budget. Publicly Southgate has played down speculation he will move on from the Riverside Stadium this summer but privately Southgate has tired of a lack of success in his career and would jump at the chance to join a club with more realistic ambitions to win silverware.

Venables has been a long standing admirer of Southgate's, working at both England and Middlebrough.

Boro are likely to contest any move by Leeds while Southgate remains under contract, but it won't deter Venables.

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.