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English transfers

Schwarz joins Sunderland; Flowers set for Leicester

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Posted: Thursday July 29, 1999 10:30 AM

Sunderland manager Peter Reid (right) poses with Stefan Schwarz after signing a four-year deal. AP

LONDON (AP) -- Swedish international Stefan Schwarz set a club record transfer fee Thursday when he joined Premier League newcomer Sunderland from Spanish league team Valencia.

And former England goalkeeper Tim Flowers is on course for a move to Leicester after asking for a transfer from relegated Blackburn Rovers.

Schwarz, who delayed signing with concerns over his family's ability to adapt to northern England, moved on a four-year transfer worth just under 4 million pounds (US$6.36 million) to complete his move to the Stadium of Light.

"It is fantastic for me to be back in England and important for Sunderland to be in the Premier League where they belong, so it will be an exciting year," he said.

Sunderland manager Peter Reid said the 31-year-old midfielder was a quality international with experience at top class clubs.

"His performance against England at Wembley recently just shows what a quality player he is," he said. "We know we are in for a hard season, and Stefan will be a great leader on the pitch."

Flowers' move to Leicester will go ahead if he can agree to personal terms after the clubs agreed to a 1.1 million (US$1.75 million) transfer fee.

The 32-year-old England international requested a transfer from Blackburn after losing his starting place to John Filan last season. He was expected to meet with Leicester manager Martin O'Neill on Thursday.

The Leicester squad leaves Friday for a for-team preseason tournament in Greece.

Flowers is the third player to leave Rovers since the club was relegated to division one. Striker Chris Sutton moved to Chelsea in a 10-million pound (US$15.9 million) transfer, while Stephane Henchoz switched to Liverpool.

Greek international George Georgiadis wants to go home after an unhappy stint at Newcastle.

He moved to St. James' Park in a 450,000 (US$715,500) deal under Kenny Dalglish but had few opportunities under Dalglish's replacement Ruud Gullit.

The midfielder was expected to meet with PAOK Salonika officials Thursday to open transfer negotiations.

Chelsea's Danish international Bjarne Goldbaek is reportedly considering a 1.5 million-pound (US$2.4 million) transfer to relegated Nottingham Forest.

The 31-year-old midfielder has met with Forest manager David Platt and his only concern about the move is Forest's relegation to division one following its last-place finish in the Premier League.

Goldbaek joined the Blues from Copenhagen last year for 900,000 pounds (US$1.43 million).

Meanwhile, Slaven Bilic's return to West Ham from Everton is off after he failed to negotiate personal terms with the Hammers.

The Croatian defender was expected to return to Upton Park from Merseyside in a 1-million pound (US$.59 million) deal.

West Ham spokesman Graham Mackrell described the deal as "dead in the water."

"The clubs have reached an impasse with the player," he said. "It's not something we can salvage."

Bilic, who moved to West Ham from Germany in 1995 before switching to Everton in a 4.2 million (US$.7 million) transfer in 1997, had trained at Upton Park this week, and his return had been considered a formality.

 

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