Houllier watched the 25-year-old in action against Auxerre on 21 April.”There has been contact with Liverpool but nothing concrete,” the club’s sporting director Jean-Marc Pellissier said. Diao recently said he was aware of interest from a number of European clubs, including Barcelona and Internazionale but said nothing would be resolved until after the World Cup.He joined Sedan in 2000 from Monaco, where he won the French title. He is currently in Saudi Arabia preparing for tonight’s friendly in Riyadh.Internazionale are consider-ing a bid for Arsenal’s Fredrik Ljungberg and Ashley Cole. The Inter president, Massimo Moratti, is reportedly ready to offer cash plus the Turkey midfielder Emre Belozoglu for Cole.Sylvain Distin is turning his back on Newcastle United to sign for Manchester City in a dispute over £8,000-a-week. The French defender will join Kevin Keegan’s City rather than the manager’s old club Newcastle in a £4m switch from Paris St-Germain this week.

The reason behind the Distin dispute is that he wanted £12,000-a-week after tax and was offered £12,000-a-week before tax.City have also made a £4m move for Independiente’s Argentinian striker Matias Vicente Vuoso.Derby County’s manager, John Gregory, is in talks with the Nigerian World Cup striker Yakubou Ayegbini to clear the way for the sale of Malcom Christie, probably to Middlesbrough for £6m. Officials from relegated Derby met with the African player’s representatives yesterday and are close to agreeing a £4m deal for the 19-year-old Maccabi Haifa forward.. The Football Association have announced they will be backing Issa Hyatou, Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s rival, in the forthcoming election for leadership of the world governing body. This follows a report to the Fifa executive by the general secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen, which addressed the finances of the world governing body and Blatter’s leadership.Four years ago the FA switched their support to Blatter from the head of Uefa Lennart Johansson, but now feel unable to back him and believe this is the moment of biggest impact for their announcement.An FA statement said: “The FA wanted to place on record their high regard and admiration for the general secretary of Fifa, Michel Zen-Ruffinen.

In that task, he deserves to receive the full support of the worldwide football community.”. The Football League filed a £175m writ this afternoon against Carlton and Granada TV companies, parents of failed broadcaster ITV Digital. The Football League filed a£175m writ this afternoon against Carlton and Granada TV companies, parents of failed broadcaster ITV Digital.
The league, which represents 72 teams in the first, second and third divisions, claimed that company owners Carlton and Granada were liable for the broadcaster’s debts.The collapse of ITV Digital has threatened to put dozens of clubs out of business. Many have already spent the funds they were expecting from the company, and the league had warned repeatedly it might sue Carlton and Granada for the money.”From the outset of this dispute, the Football League has made it abundantly clear that it will, if necessary, use all options to pursue Carlton and Granada for monies outstanding from our broadcasting agreement,” league chief executive David Burns said.The league was also preparing a claim against ITV television network and planned to file for damages exceeding £500m with ITV Digital’s liquidators once they are appointed.ITV Digital discontinued its pay–TV programs earlier this month as a first step toward its liquidation. Its financial administrators, accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, are seeking a potential buyer for the business..