Holland 'miles apart' from Villa deal

Matt Holland stalled on a £4.5m move to Aston Villa yesterday, though the Villa manager Graham Taylor still hopes to lure him from Ipswich Town.

The clubs had agreed a fee for the Republic of Ireland midfielder but Holland's agent, Jonathan Barnett, said Villa would have to increase their personal terms. Barnett met Villa's chairman Doug Ellis and finance director Mark Ansell but said they were "miles apart".

Taylor is also negotiating with Holland's team-mate in the Irish midfield, Mark Kinsella, after Charlton accepted a bid believed to be £750,000. "I am hopeful that both will eventually be persuaded to join Villa," Taylor said.

Arsenal appear to be closing in on Carlos Roa, the former Argentina international goalkeeper who has refused a new deal with Real Mallorca and claims to have been offered a contract by the Double winners.

Roa is best remembered in this country for his part in the penalty shoot-out that brought England's 1998 World Cup to an end. A Seventh Day Adventist, he retired in 1999 for over a year due to Saturday football clashing with his religion's sabbath.

Rio Ferdinand is facing a battle against the clock if he is to make his Premiership debut for Manchester United at Chelsea tonight. The 23-year-old defender has recovered from the ankle injury he picked up in a pre-season friendly against Boca Juniors but manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who does not want to risk his £30m signing until he is 100 per-cent fit, has hinted that he may have to wait a little longer.

United's goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, who is recovering from a hip injury, may miss out too.

Chelsea's manager Claudio Ranieri must decide whether to keep faith with Gianfranco Zola up front. Eidur Gudjohnsen was overlooked from the starting line-up for last week's 3-2 win at Charlton due to a lack of match-sharpness but came on as a substitute.

Manchester United's chief executive Peter Kenyon has confirmed that officials will meet Rennes' Julien Escudé in Paris on Sunday despite the full-back's injury problems. The former French Under-21 international injured knee ligaments while walking his dog.

United are also trying to sign the Argentinian defender Nicolas Burdisso in a £5.5m deal before the Champions' League deadline. Kenyon is in talks with Boca Juniors about a deal for the Under-21 international. Burdisso, 20, has an Italian passport through his family background, so there would be no need for a work permit.

Hearts have accepted Southampton's £2m bid for their Finnish international goalkeeper Antti Niemi.

Portsmouth's signing of the Middlesbrough defender Gianluca Festa has been put on hold until this morning due to missing paperwork. The Italian has agreed terms and passed a medical and is expected to play against Watford tomorrow.

The Bolton striker Bo Hansen is in talks with the Danish club Midtylland about a return home. Hansen has been a regular first-teamer since being recruited from Brondby, but manager Sam Allardyce now deems him surplus to requirements and the Danes hope to do a £500,000 deal.

Football grounds across the country will hold a minute's silence this weekend in memory of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the two murdered Cambridgeshire schoolgirls.

* Real Madrid said last night that their president Florentino Perez and his Internazionale counterpart Massimo Moratti had opened discussions about the possible transfer of the Brazilian striker Ronaldo.