REDS BOSS IN STRIKER BID

A Danish centre forward was due at Oakwell and manager Simon Davey is keen to make him his 11th new recruit this summer.

Davey has already splashed out 600,000 bringing in Peruvian Miguel Mostto and ex-Cheltenham player Kayode Odejayi to boost the club's goal threat.

The paperwork confirming goalkeeper Heinz Muller's move from Lillestrom to Barnsley was being completed today.

A fee has been agreed and terms have been settled with the player.

The German will go straight into the squad for Saturday's game with Coventry as long as the club receive international clearance in time.

Meanwhile Leon Best could join Arjan De Zeeuw, David McNamee and Ellery Cairo on the sidelines for Coventry at Barnsley.

Best, the summer striker arrival from Southampton, has a knee problem and boss Iain Dowie is not sure if he will be available at Oakwell.

Dowie said: "Besty has got a bit of a sore knee from the weekend and didn't train in the early part of the week, so he is the only fresh doubt for Saturday."

Barnsley

have issued a statement about their failure to reach an agreement with Radio Sheffield for coverage this season.

The club are unhappy about the fee offered by the radio station for access to management and players.

The statement said that the cash was "26 per cent less than last year despite the fact that we are still in the Championship".

It said: "We have been informed that the offers made to other local teams in the same division are at least 3.5 times larger than the one made to us."

Francis

Jeffers can rejuvenate his career at Hillsborough and live up to the "fox in the box" tag once placed on him by Arsene Wenger, believes Brian Laws.

The former England striker earned the tag though his penalty-area cunning.

But his career has faltered since his 8m move from Everton to Arsenal six years ago and Laws believes that a move to the Owls can only do him good.

The Wednesday chief said: "Francis has played for and scored for England, and we all remember the comments from Arsene Wenger about him being a 'fox in the box'."

"His goalscoring ability is still there; it just needs to be harnessed in the right way.

"Part of that involves playing regularly and maybe the time has come for Francis to realise he has to move to a Championship club to do that."

Jeffers spent a successful loan spell at Ipswich last season – scoring four goals in nine appearances – but turned down a full move to Portman Road earlier in the summer.

The lure of Wednesday – recognised as one of the biggest clubs outside the Premier League – could prove impossible to resist.

Laws said: "We're hopeful of signing Francis in time for Saturda." Blackburn chairman John Williams has said that he expects the deal to go through.

Meanwhile, Midlands sources insist that West Brom have firmed up their interest in Chris Brunt by making an undisclosed bid Wednesday have vowed not to sell the winger in the last year of his Hillsborough contract.