Football: Spurs increase ante for Juninho

Confusion reigned over the Juninho transfer saga yesterday, with Tottenham and Atletico Madrid both claiming that they have agreed to sign the Brazilian international.

Tottenham, who have offered pounds 11m, appeared yesterday morning to be favourites, as they were the only club to have had an offer officially accepted by Middlesbrough. But the Spanish newspaper Marca reported that the Spanish side, who had a pounds 7.5m offer termed "derisory" by the Middlesbrough chairman, Steve Gibson, have secured a deal that would cost them pounds 14.5m including wages. The player is due to return from Brazil for pre-season training at the Riverside tomorrow.

As far as Middlesbrough were concerned yesterday, Tottenham were the only club in the race. "It's obviously up to Juninho to meet up with Tottenham and see if he can agree personal terms with them," a spokesman for the club said. "There were other clubs interested but Tottenham were the ones who have put in a bid that we have accepted."

Manchester United have been spared an appeal through the courts to keep the Czech international, Karel Poborsky, at Old Trafford. Poborsky looked to have fallen foul of the work permit clause that prevents renewal if a player has not appeared in a minimum 75 per cent of first-team games, but the Home Office has ruled Poborsky can stay on for another year.

Tomas Brolin, out of favour at Leeds, yesterday denied reports linking him with a pounds 2m move to French champions, Monaco. The Swedish international's agent, John Smith, confirmed that several clubs were interested - but that his likely destination was not the south of France.

The former Barnet manager Terry Bullivant has been named as the new manager of Reading. Bullivant, 40, has been followed from Barnet by the former Charlton and Crystal Palace midfielder, Alan Pardew, as reserve-team coach. Lincoln's assistant manager, John Still, was named as Bullivant's replacement at Barnet.

Norwich City have signed the out-of-contract Oldham Athletic captain Craig Fleming in a pounds 600,000 deal.

Brighton and Hove Albion are unhappy at their treatment from the Football League, which has called a meeting for 24 July to decide whether the Sussex club should be expelled after failing to pay a pounds 500,000 security bond by an agreed deadline last month.

"When we got the original wording [of the bond], it was unacceptable to us," a Brighton director, Martin Perry, said. "We could have lost the pounds 500,000 if a game had been abandoned due to circumstances outside our control, like the weather. The next thing we knew, the League had issued a statement and we couldn't get hold of anyone on Friday evening to discuss it."