Southampton claim that Souness is on holiday and is "uncontactable" while their director of football, Lawrie McMenemy, said: "You had better ask the manager."Souness and Vialli are old friends from the manager's spell as a player at Sampdoria, where the Italian used to clean his boots. Previously Souness has said of Vialli: "He has kept himself in good shape and lived right - he is a fine player and will do well wherever he plays."Rangers are expected to sign Sweden's captain, Jonas Thern, from Roma in the summer - with the player set to earn a staggering pounds 835,000 a year.The Scottish champions look favourites to sign the 29-year-old midfielder after he admitted that it would be hard to refuse the offer he has received from the Glasgow club. The Rangers chairman, David Murray, is reported to have offered Thern a minimum two-year, maximum three-year, contract.Thern revealed that three other contracts he has been offered - from Benfica, Napoli and Roma - would have to be combined to match what Rangers have put up. His international team-mate, Joachim Bjorklund, is already at Ibrox.Thern will leave Roma on a free transfer at the end of the season even though Napoli, Fiorentina and Parma have all shown an interest in him.
The Swede has also attracted attention from three clubs in his home country - Malmo, Helsingborg and IFK Gothenburg.Alphonse Tchami, a 25-year-old striker who played for Cameroon at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, has joined Sunderland on trial from Boca Juniors, of Argentina, with a view to a pounds 1.4m transfer.The Bayern Munich president, Franz Beckenbauer, has fuelled speculation that he is to quit his post to become Germany's first Sports Minister. "I have no passion for what I am doing here," the 51-year-old former World Cup winner said. "It is high time the sport had its own ministry."The Lincoln City midfielder, Terry Fleming, has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association after allegedly giving a false name (that of team-mate Tony Dennis) to avoid being sent off. The 24-year-old was booked twice in seven minutes during the first half of their Third Division game against Wigan nine days ago.. A fresh-faced fans' favourite looks likely to challenge Iain Dowie for the front-running role when Northern Ireland face Portugal in their World Cup qualifying tie next month. West Ham's Dowie is still recovering from a broken ankle which has ruled him out of the games with Italy in Palermo and the 3-0 victory over Belgium on Tuesday night.
He is expected to be fit again for the 29 March 29 match against Portugal at Windsor Park, Belfast, but he may not regain his international place because of the impression made by the Blackpool forward James Quinn.
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Quinn, who has scored 13 goals this season for Blackpool, has made himself a hit with the Irish supporters, with his mobility, pace and shooting power. "He has been a real find - a player who can establish himself at international level," said Northern Ireland's manager, Bryan Hamilton.In addition, Hamilton can call on Phil Gray, who plays in the Netherlands for Fortuna Sittard, Stoke's Gerard McMahon, Manchester United's Philip Mulryne and George O'Boyle, of St Johnstone.But he warned: "Let's not get carried away by the 3-0 victory over Belgium. A lot of hard work lies ahead, but at least we are making progress."Northern Ireland's hopes of qualifying for France 98 are still remote - with Germany favourites to qualify from group nine - although victory over an erratic Portuguese side would keep the campaign doing. Maximum points from trips to Ukraine and Armenia in April and May would ensure a capacity crowd for the visit of the Germans to Belfast in August.Hamilton is expected to include Mulryne and Manchester City's 18-year- old midfielder, Jeff Whitley, in the squad against Portugal. "We must get Whitley into a competitive fixture, which means he could not be approached by any other country," Hamilton said.Whitley, the first black player to be selected by the Irish FA at senior level, was born in Zambia and could play for them or England as he holds a British passport.. On the face of it a goalless home draw in a semi-deserted stadium is nothing to inspire anyone but Bobby Gould was accentuating the positive yesterday Or least he was in every other aspect except dimensionally. "After you have shipped seven and three, conceding no goals twice makes you happy," the Wales manager said reflecting on Tuesday's draw with the Republic of Ireland in Cardiff.