Liverpool want Staunton back

Liverpool are negotiating to sign Steve Staunton from Aston Villa in a cash-plus-player deal worth around £3m.

Roy Evans, the Liverpool manager, is prepared to pay £2m cash and give Villa the choice of Stig Bjornebye or Mark Wright for the Republic of Ireland international left-back.

Evans is keen to re-sign a player who was allowed to leave Anfield for a mere £1.1m in August 1991 under the reign of Graeme Souness. Staunton rejected similar advances from Liverpool in the summer.

A transfer tribunal yesterday ordered Arsenal to pay Ipswich Town £1.25m for Chris Kiwomya, with the fee rising to £1.55m after the 25-year-old striker has made 60 first-team appearances. Arsenal had offered £500,000, while Ipswich, who will also be entitled to 25 per cent of the fee should Arsenal sell Kiwomya, valued the player at £2.5m The same tribunal decided that Swindon Town should pay Norwich £250,000 for the former Spurs defender Ian Culverhouse. Swindon must also pass on 20 per cent of any future profit from the 30-year-old player. Norwich had hoped to receive £900,000.

Hereford United have slashed admission prices after an "unacceptable" Endsleigh League Third Division performance against Chesterfield. A mere 1,673, their lowest crowd of the season, saw Hereford beaten 2-0 at Edgar Street, and supporters at next week'shome game against Hartlepool have now been promised a £2 reduction from the normal prices of £7 for a seat and £5 to stand.

"The board decided that fans had not received value-for-money and discount prices will apply next Tuesday in an effort to redress the situation," the managing director, Robin Fry, said.

Jim McLean may be ready to end his association with Dundee United after almost a quarter of a century. McLean, who guided United to the Scottish Premier League championship and a Uefa Cup final during his 22-year spell as manager, is now chairman and managing director at Tannadice.

"I have to say there is no certainty I will be at Dundee United for much longer," the 57-year-old said. "I'm getting to the same stage in this job that I felt with the football side. Why take the hassle?"