HARRY KEWELL may yet sign a new contract for Leeds United, but he has told friends that he wants to move to Arsenal and Leeds would be far happier to offload him to London than Manchester.

Kewell, who has one year left on his present contract, said: “There’s a lot of big clubs out there. You’ve got AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Marseilles, Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, Rangers, Bayern Munich. But I will play out my contract with Leeds and see where it takes me. The manager is great and the whole thing is great. We didn’t have a great season, but the season before was good.

“I might sign another contract with them. I don’t know yet. Money is not the most important thing. My family comes first and I’ve got on well with Peter Reid at Leeds since he arrived — there’s a lot to take into account.”

Arsenal are prepared to offer cash plus players for Kewell and Leeds may prefer to offload the Australia forward now rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.

Ipswich Town, the Nationwide League first division club, yesterday accepted a £750,000 offer from Portsmouth for Matt Holland, their captain. The Ireland midfield player has yet to discuss personal terms, however, and declined to comment yesterday as Ireland prepared for Saturday’s European Championship 2004 qualifier against Albania.

One transfer to go through was David Seaman’s from Arsenal to Manchester City, as revealed in The Times. “I have had 13 fantastic years at Arsenal, winning more trophies than I could ever have hoped for,” the goalkeeper, who has agreed a one-year contract, said. “I believe I can play an important part in helping Manchester City establish itself as a contender for trophies. The club has a massive army of loyal fans, a new state-of-the-art, world-class stadium and, in Kevin Keegan, a manager who craves success.” Michael Tarnat, the 33-year-old midfield player, has also joined City from Bayern Munich on a one-year contract.

Steve Claridge, the itinerant 37-year-old striker, has left Millwall to become player-manager of Weymouth Town, of the Dr Martens League, for whom he played in the mid-1980s. Luton Town, the second division club, undeterred by Mick Harford’s refusal to return as coach, want Joe Kinnear back as manager only a fortnight after his dismissal.

Gillingham supporters are planning a protest outside the Priestfield Stadium today against the change in colour of their home strip for next season to virtually all white from the traditional blue.

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