Djorkaeff looks Bolton bound

Youri Djorkaeff is free to move to Bolton Wanderers FC after 1. FC Kaiserslautern confirmed on Tuesday that they had cancelled the player's contract with immediate effect.

Move 'imminent'
The French international had said earlier in the day that a move to the FA Premiership side was "imminent". A Bolton spokesman added: "Talks are ongoing with Djorkaeff and we hope to announce something later in the week."

Back in favour
After missing the early rounds of the 1. Bundesliga season, Djorkaeff appeared to have won back favour with coach Andreas Brehme when he made a series of first-team appearances in the autumn, but he has not returned to the lineup after losing his place when he injured an ankle.

'Positive solution'
The player is confident that the compromise he has reached with Kaiserslautern suits all concerned. "I think we have found a positive solution for me as well as for Kaiserslautern," he said. "It has been hard for me recently because I haven't played, but I don't want to say anything about the coach."

'Outstanding qualities'
Kaiserslautern coach Brehme was equally diplomatic. "Youri is a player with outstanding qualities," he said, while club president Jürgen Friedrich added: "Youri Djorkaeff contacted us asking if we would allow him to leave. We agreed because we did not want to argue with him all the time!"

World and European champion
An intergral member of the France sides that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and EURO 2000™, Djorkaeff was left out of the Les Bleus' squad for Wednesday's friendly international against Romania in Paris. He will now be hoping a likely move to England will galvanise his chances of making the squad for Korea/Japan. "It is my objective to play for France at the World Cup," added Djorkaeff. "I have now got three months to show our national team coach [Roger Lemerre] that I would be a good choice."

Dugarry to follow?
FC Girondins de Bordeaux striker Christophe Dugarry could follow his compatriot to England after claiming on Tuesday that the Premiership helped French players improve dramatically. "I don't yet have plans for my future," Dugarry, 29, said at the training base where France are preparing for the Stade de France fixture against Romania. "But if I leave Bordeaux I will go to England. I don't know if my way of playing fits with the Premiership, but what I have realised is that guys who were good but not outstanding when playing in France became great players."