Bolton confident Jay-Jay will sign long-term deal

BOLTON chairman Phil Gartside remains confident that Jay-Jay Okocha will sign a new long-term contract at the Reebok Stadium.

Talks are already at an advanced stage with the club captain, whose current deal finishes in the summer.

Gartside said: "I have had a good chat with Jay-Jay and am hoping to speak to him to sort things out in the next 24 hours. We are not a million miles away and I am confident we can do something."

Tying up Okocha would be a massive bonus for manager Sam Allardyce in the wake of the Carling Cup defeat by Middlesbrough.

The Nigerian playmaker and veteran French forward Youri Djorkaeff whose contract is also running to a close have been linked with moves to Qatar.