Derby County are embroiled in all sorts of red tape as they try and bolster their squad for their doomed battle against relegation.

Boss Paul Jewell is having a spot of work permit trouble in his attempts to sign Mile Sterjovski from Turkish side Genclerbirligi, despite the striker representing Australia more times than Harry Kewell.

Beleaguered scouser Jewell touched the heart of anyone who has ever chased a tax rebate or applied for planning permission when he said: "We don't know if it will happen. Bureaucracy frightens me to death. We just hope we can get it sorted and we can get the lad over."

Meanwhile goalkeeper Roy Carroll, currently at SPL leaders Rangers, is so keen on playing in the Championship next season that he is willing to pay the loan fee to bring in Sunderland's Darren Ward as a replacement.

Middlesbrough are becoming the third party in a tricky act of officialdom of their own. Their protracted pursuit for Heerenveen striker Afonso Alves just got messier after it was announced that he will go to court to cancel a contract with AZ Alkmaar.

The Brazilian wants the deal cancelled on the grounds that neither a lawyer nor agent was present when he signed, in order for him to make the move to the Riverside. Has anyone told this man anything about Middlesbrough?

Is all this legal business that's creeping into football beginning to bore you? No? Well, here's some more - Blackburn are hoping to dodge the FIFA rule that says a player can't play for three teams in one season in a bid to sign Amdy Faye from Charlton.

It seems that their team of silks has come up with the ingenious tactic of writing a nice, pleading letter to the game's governers, and it appears to be working. A FIFA spokesman said: "In general the rule does apply but if a club or player asks FIFA to look at any case it comes to the FIFA legal department. A typical example of this situation involved Carlos Tevez last season."

Bolton's 'scouts' have obviously been watching Eurosport recently, because no sooner has the final whistle blown on the opening match of the African Cup of Nations than Guinea captain Pascal Feindouno is on their radar for a £3 million move from St Etienne.

Patrik Berger will not be rejoining Portsmouth, as he is currently housebound. Well, that's according to Harry Redknapp, who said: "Patrik can't go anywhere at the moment because he's injured."

Elsewhere, Reading fancy the look of Mali international Jimmy Kebe of Lens, Wigan will fight it out with Atletico Madrid for Independiente wonderkid German Denis, and Spurs will celebrate their thrashing of the Arsenal reserves with the purchase of Argentinian defender Ezequiel Garay from Racing Santander for £10 million.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport