Tottenham Set to Win Race for Palace's Star Teenager Bostock

Tottenham Hotspur are on the verge of signing the Crystal Palace midfielder John Bostock, acknowledged as one of the brightest emerging talents in English football, after the Championship club admitted they would struggle to retain the teenager.

Bostock became Palace's youngest player when he featured at 15 years and 287 days in the home defeat to Watford last October and he impressed with the England junior sides, most recently captaining the national team at Under-17 level. He has not played as often recently in the Palace first team - he is sitting his GCSEs at his school in Blackfriars - but was on the bench for the recent game at Hull.

Chelsea and Arsenal had hoped to secure his services, with the player able to negotiate a first professional contract having turned 16 in January, and Barcelona had expressed an interest in his development.

Palace had hoped to tie Bostock to a first professional deal at the club he supports but they have conceded that the teenager will leave and hope to agree a deal for about £5m.

Rafael Benítez has poured more fuel on his row with Martin O'Neill by claiming Gareth Barry wants to leave Aston Villa. The Liverpool manager, responding to O'Neill's stinging attack on Friday, suggested that the England international was intent on quitting Villa Park, a revelation which is certain to strain relations between the two clubs further.

"If your captain wants to leave it's a problem but that's football," said Benítez.

O'Neill has argued otherwise since Liverpool's interest in the player was leaked 11 days ago. It is understood that Barry did not declare a desire to leave when he met O'Neill yesterday for talks, but Villa supporters would be naive to interpret the captain's reticence as a show of loyalty. With Liverpool so keen on signing Barry there is no need for the midfielder to agitate for a move to Anfield.

Benítez is mystified as to why O'Neill has reacted so furiously. "We were just talking about football so why he was so angry, I do not know," he added. "I have been very clear. The player had said before that he wanted to play Champions League football. We knew that and so tried to sign a good player. It is that simple."

Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest are understood to have both agreed a fee with Derby County for the Wales international striker Robert Earnshaw. The 27-year-old joined Derby from Norwich for £3.5m last summer but, after a chastening season at Pride Park during which he made only seven Premier League starts, Paul Jewell is prepared to sanction the forward's departure. It is believed that Derby have accepted bids in the region of £2.75m for the player.