Fulham manage to Sikora an own goal

FULHAM were kicking themselves yesterday after missing out on number one transfer target Victor Sikora because of their insistence on paying his £3million-plus fee in instalments.

The flying Dutchman, a revelation on the left wing for Vitesse Arnhem last season, is now expected to sign for Holland's champions Ajax a club he originally snubbed because he wanted to try his luck in the Premiership.

The 24-year-old Deventer-born midfielder arrived in London for talks and a medical at the start of this week. Fulham had hoped to announce his signing on Friday when they also confirmed the arrival of Junichi Inamoto and Martin Djetou.

But discussions hit a snag.

Fulham's chief executive officer Bruce Langham issued a terse ''no comment'' when quizzed about Sikora's move and Vitesse chairman Jos Vaessen has now gone on the record as saying: ''Victor Sikora's transfer to Fulham is off.

''Fulham wanted to pay the transfer sum over four years, and that's not acceptable to us.

''I'm now prepared to negotiate again with Ajax on Sikora's transfer.''

The Dutch champs offered £2.9million for Sikora but Vitesse will settle for that fee paid quickly, rather than Fulham's payment scheme of four £750,000-plus payments every year until 2005.

Assistant manager Christian Damiano clung to the hope the deal would go through.

''We're continuing discussions,'' he said. ''Sikora hasn't signed at the moment but we hope he does because it would be interesting to have him on the left wing, to balance the side.''

The collapse of Sikora's transfer sparked further speculation about the state of the Cottagers' finances.

Mohamed Al Fayed bankrolled a £30million-plus spending spree last August but the only transfer involving a fee so far this summer has been the £2million move for Argentinian striker Facundo Sava.