SOCCER:Manchester United last night appeared to have cleared the way to finally sign Carlos Tevez, just as Alan Smith was poised to leave Old Trafford for Newcastle United for €9 million.

West Ham are expected to announce today that they have agreed a deal to release Tevez from his contract and registration. The move will allow the Argentina striker to pursue a move to Manchester United.

The agreement, which still needs to be formally ratified by the Premier League and the English FA, will see the Hammers paid between €1.5 million and €4.5 million in compensation.

The deal will also mean the settlement of the €45 million lawsuit brought against West Ham by Tevez' agent Kia Joorabchian.

Talks yesterday ended with an agreement between both sides and today the league and the FA should sign off the deal - Premier League lawyers have been kept up to date with the progress of discussions.

United, meanwhile, have issued a defence of their decision to sign a nine-year-old Australian prospect. Rhain Davis has been signed up by the club after his grandfather sent the club a DVD of him in action and the family then moved to Cheshire from Brisbane.

United insist they only invited Rhain for a trial after being told the Davis family were moving to Britain - he has a British passport through his mother's side - and that they have acted completely in line with the rules governing young players.

The club said in a statement: "Manchester United signs up to 30 boys aged nine for the under-10s of its academy in line with the rules that govern Premier League academies.

"The club does not ordinarily discuss individuals within its academies and would not consider sanctioning media access to boys so young.

"But it is important to address some issues that have arisen. The boy in question is English and resident within the allowable travelling distance of the club, having resettled in the UK. The club has at all times conducted itself in accordance with academy rules."

Smith, meanwhile, is expected to complete his move to Tyneside this morning after spending much of yesterday undergoing a medical and finalising personal terms at St James's Park.

Providing his move from Manchester United goes to plan, Smith, who is likely to be deployed in midfield by Sam Allardyce, could be paraded at a lunchtime press conference.

By then Newcastle also hope to have not only secured the signing of the former Brazil defender Cacapa from Lyon but that Kieron Dyer will be a West Ham United player.

The England midfielder, who is understood to have agreed personal terms at Upton Park, spent yesterday undergoing an exhaustive medical at a London hospital after Newcastle accepted Alan Curbishley's 9 million offer.

West Ham accept that Dyer would not pass a conventional football medical but were nevertheless anxious to establish he is worth €9 million, plus at least €90,000 a week in wages. Dyer takes daily medication for an undisclosed liver complaint that undermines his hamstrings and has a history of shin trouble which necessitated the insertion of a steel pin in one leg.

The club originally offered €1.5 million for Dyer with further related payments to be paid in instalments but Newcastle stood their ground and held out for the €9 million fee.

It was originally thought that the Smith deal would be delayed until Dyer had signed but St James' Park sources last night insisted this was not the case.

Meanwhile, Allardyce's defence is poised to be reinforced by the arrival, on a free transfer, of Cacapa who was undergoing a medical and finalising personal terms last night.

"Cacapa is a top player and we regard him as a big capture," insisted Newcastle's manager yesterday. "Our fans should not be put off by the fact they may not have heard of Cacapa because he has certainly been heard of in Brazil and France. He has been captain of Lyon for the past five years . . . and has a lot of Champions League experience."

Chris Mort, Newcastle's chairman, quashed rumours that Mike Ashley, the club's owner, planned to make Alan Shearer his new manager shortly, with Kevin Keegan returning as director of football.

Chelsea last night scotched speculation that England midfielder Frank Lampard would miss the start of the season with a broken toe.

Lampard has featured in all Chelsea's pre-season matches despite suffering a minor injury during their stay at an American training camp and will play in Sunday's Community Shield against Manchester United.

Guardian Service