Birmingham try to tempt Jeffers

Franic Jeffers will have to take a hefty pay cut if he wants to quit Arsenal for Birmingham.

The 22-year-old striker, who is believed to earn about £35,000 a week, has been linked with a £4million switch to St Andrews.

But Birmingham chairman David Gold said: "It won't happen unless Jeffers takes a cut in his wages.

"If he wants to sit at Arsenal on his big contract and play golf every day, then he can continue with that. But where is the motivation in that?"

Jeffers left Everton to join Arsenal for £10m two years ago.

Tight security measures will be in place tonight when Arsenal play Turkish team Besiktas at Bad Waltersdorf in Austria.

The local authorities have been in consultations with Islington Police, even though only a few hundred Besiktas fans are expected to attend the match.

Any high-profile meeting between England and Turkey at club or international level is taken seriously because of the obvious overtones.