Agents raise doubts over Bolton move for Rivaldo

While Sam Allardyce could only stand by as Rivaldo headed back to Brazil yesterday with offers from other clubs ringing in his ears, Arsenal and Chelsea were both building for the future by looking to buy young.

While Sam Allardyce could only stand by as Rivaldo headed back to Brazil yesterday with offers from other clubs ringing in his ears, Arsenal and Chelsea were both building for the future by looking to buy young.

The Bolton manager's attempts to sign the Brazilian World Cup winner is being sabotaged by agents claiming to work for him. Allardyce was hoping to push through the move yesterday but he has also been offered to three London clubs.

A company called Sports Impact Incorporated claim to have Rivaldo's consent to broker a move to Tottenham, Charlton or Fulham. Their fax also states that "Rivaldo was due to sign for Bolton on Monday" and has given them the mandate to find a move to the capital.

The tactics will shock Bolton who were confident of signing the 32-year-old after he agreed to Allardyce's offer of a two-year deal on a flying visit last week. However their suspicions were aroused when Rivaldo failed to show on Monday, with claims that he was selling one of his houses in Barcelona. A medical was set up for yesterday, but once more the former Milan player failed to show. Bolton's offer of £40,000-a-week is better than any rival has come up with since he left Cruzeiro.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have been told they must pay more than £10m to prise the highly-rated teenage defender Vincent Kompany from Anderlecht, even after allowing him to stay in Belgium for one more season.

The Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon, visited Brussels last month for talks about the 18-year-old defender, who became his country's second youngest international in February.

Although reports have indicated that Chelsea have already paid a seven figure sum to secure first option on Kompany, the Belgian club said no deal has yet been struck - which may come as some encouragement to Manchester United, who lost out to Chelsea when Arjen Robbins committed his future to Stamford Bridge.

Another youngster United will not be signing is the Feyenoord winger Robin van Persie, who Arsenal came close to signing in January before moving for Jose Antonio Reyes. The 20-year-old Dutchman, who is seen as a replacement for Dennis Bergkamp, is expected to have his future confirmed in north London by the end of this week.

Arsenal are to consider installing a replica of Arsène Wenger alongside the bust of Herbert Chapman at their new stadium in recognition of the most successful manager in the club's history. Wenger has now matched Chapman's achievement of three league titles, although the former Arsenal great had sadly died by the time his team completed their own treble in the 1930s.