Keane's Bid for Hunt Faces Competition From Everton

Sunderland are expected to face competition from Everton in their pursuit of the Republic of Ireland international Stephen Hunt. Roy Keane, the Sunderland manager, has tracked the Reading winger for the past six months but it is understood that Everton are also monitoring the 26-year-old. David Moyes is eager to strengthen Everton's midfield and the industrious Hunt has emerged as a potential target this summer.

Reading are resigned to losing Hunt after dropping out of the Premier League but the Championship club, who rejected several bids from Sunderland in January, will not countenance reducing the player's valuation after relegation. Hunt revealed at the end of the season that he has a clause in his contract that is believed to offer the player an escape route but also protects his club, with Reading expected to hold out for offers in excess of £4.5m.

Hunt, who signed a new contract at the Madejski Stadium in February that, on paper, ties him to the club until 2011, is expected to favour a move to Sunderland, where there is a strong Irish presence. Sunderland have yet to return to Reading with an acceptable offer, however, leaving the door ajar for Everton.

Everton have suffered a potentially serious setback in their attempts to build a new 50,000-seater stadium in Kirkby after several neighboring authorities objected to the proposed scheme.

Liverpool and Sefton councils have followed West Lancashire council in formally opposing the huge retail development in Kirkby, a £400m scheme led by Tesco that will have Everton's stadium as its centerpiece, on the basis that it will have a detrimental effect on retailers in their boroughs. The council planning committee in Knowsley, where the ground will be located, meets on Monday to discuss the application and has been advised to approve it by their officials.

Sefton council, however, have asked the secretary of state for communities and local government, Hazel Blears, to call in the proposal for a public inquiry. That would delay construction of the stadium and rising building costs would then, in all likelihood, scupper the plan.

The Chilean champions, Everton, want to invite their namesakes in England to celebrate their centennial anniversary next year. "We want them to come this summer [England's winter]," the club president, Antonio Bloise, said.

Hull City have confirmed that the Nigerian play maker Jay-Jay Okocha will not participate in their first Premier League season. The club had the option of taking up a further year on the 34-year-old's contract but have decided against it.