CHELSEA BEGAN next season's shopping early yesterday when they signed a Nigerian international wing back, Celestine Babayaro, for £2.25 million. Known as Baba, the 18 year old will join from Anderlecht in the summer.
Ruud Gullit was also linked yesterday with a central defender, Xavier Aguado of Real Zaragoza, as he looks to strengthen his increasingly cosmopolitan team.
The FA Cup finalists beat oft competition from Inter Milan and Juventus to sign Babayaro, another foreign teenager lured to the Premiership in the recent footsteps of the 18 year old Nicolas Anelka, who is now with Arsenal.
Babayaro rose to prominence. last summer when he scored three goals, including one in the final, to help Nigeria win the Olympic gold medal.
Stoke City may well turn to Ron Atkinson after learning their manager, Lou Macari, is to stand down at the end of the present season.
Although Atkinson has refused to discuss his future plans it is expected he will leave Coventry City this summer two and a half years after his arrival.
Liverpool goalkeeper David James yesterday paid a price for his recent poor form when he was dropped from the England squad to face Georgia in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on April 30th.
However, Liverpool have closed ranks in defence of James. In a show of loyalty which was hardly unexpected, manager Roy Evans announced that James would definitely play in Thursday night's Cup Winners' Cup semi-final second leg tie against Paris St Germain at Anfield.
