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Fulham defender
Chris Coleman |
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EVERTON
boss Walter Smith is demanding Fulham defender Chris Coleman in
a straight swap for his Scottish midfield man John Collins.
Wales centre-back Coleman, 30, was
frustrated by Fulham's failure to win promotion to the Premiership
last season and wants top-flight football.
The Craven Cottage skipper is believed
to earn almost £25,000 a week - one fifth of the First Division
club's total wage bill. And Fulham chief Jean Tigana is desperate
to land Collins, who played for him at Monaco.
Everton slapped a £3.5million price
tag on Scotland international Collins, 32, who Tigana wants as
a player-coach.
But Tigana will only sanction the
proposed swap deal if Everton also cough up £1m.
Coleman and Tigana are expected to
discuss the deal when Fulham return from France today following
their pre- season friendly against Rennes.
Collins' departure from Goodison
Park will be helped by the arrival of Ghanaian midfielder Alex
Nyarko, 26.
Everton chief Smith agreed a £4.5m
fee with Nyarko's French club Lens yesterday.
Smith confirmed: "The player will
travel to England to discuss personal terms.
"And if those discussions are successful,
he will have a medical."
Manchester City chief Joe Royle and
Blackburn boss Graeme Souness have already failed with £3m bids
for Coleman this summer.
But Smith desperately needs to bolster
his creaking Everton defence before the start of the new campaign.
A swap deal
involving Collins and unsettled Fulham midfielder Lee Clark, 27,
fell through last month because the Geordie is still keen to return
to his native North East.