All the latest transfer news
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FA CUP 4TH ROUND DRAW
Arsenal v Bolton
West Ham v Watford
Bristol City or Coventry City v Hull City or Middlesbrough
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Chester City or Ipswich Town v Swansea
Cardiff City or Tottenham Hotspur v Southend United or Barnsley
Barnet or Colchester United v Peterborough United or Plymouth Argyle
Birmingham City or Newcastle United v Reading or Burnley
Derby County v Bristol Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday or Manchester City v Southampton
Crystal Palace v Preston North End
Manchester United v Portsmouth
Blackpool v Norwich City
Queens Park Rangers or Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers
Wolverhampton Wanderers or Oldham v West Bromwich Albion
Leicester City or Fulham v Stoke City
The ties will be played on Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 January.
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WATFORD have snubbed a £5million bid for star striker Ashley Young.
Hornets boss Aidy Boothroyd revealed three Premiership teams had moved for the England Under-21 star this week, with one offering £5m. Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa have all been linked with Young, 21.
Boothroyd said: “I have had three Premiership clubs on the phone making verbal bids for Ashley Young, but I have turned them all down. “As it stands, I absolutely do not see him leaving this month.
“But tomorrow, Ashley might come up to me and say ‘I’ve had enough.’ But he is not daft and he knows this is the best place for him to be. “If and when the time is right, and he wants to go, he will go. But the price has to be right.”
Watford are rock bottom of the Premiership but Young has still sparkled this season. And Boothroyd is hoping to add more firepower to his threadbare squad after bidding for three players himself yesterday.
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SOUTHAMPTON are prepared to make Gareth Bale their highest paid player after turning down bids from Spurs and Manchester United.
Wales left-back Bale, 17, will be handed a new deal until 2009. Saints dismissed Tottenham’s £3million bid before rejecting United’s £5m offer.
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SPANISH midfielder Ivan Campo, 32, will not quit Bolton for Athletic Bilbao. His agent Miguel Angel Cermeno said: “He has no intention of leaving.”
TORE ANDRE FLO confirmed he will play for Leeds until the end of the season. The 33-year-old Norwegian striker hit 50 goals for Chelsea from 1997-2000.
MARK VIDUKA is set to snub West Ham and opt for a summer move to Italy. The Middlesbrough hitman, 31, has been offered a deal by Genoa for next season and is likely to sign a pre-contract agreement with the Serie B club next week.
Spurs and Newcastle have also made inquiries as Boro have only just opened talks about an extension to his £40,000-a-week contract.
PORTSMOUTH are lining up a £1.5million move for top Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo.
Marseille left-back Taiwo, 21, had talks with Pompey boss Harry Redknapp last week. Pompey’s Nigerian striker Kanu recommended his national team-mate to Redknapp. Taiwo’s elder brother Waheed confirmed: “My brother went to London to discuss his possible move to Portsmouth.”
Sylvain Distin has indicated he could extend his stay at Manchester City.
The 29-year-old French defender is out of contract in the summer and yet to pen a new deal. It has led to constant speculation his days at the club are numbered. Distin said: "Many clubs want me. It's nice but I don't rule out staying at City. "I consider myself lucky to be playing in the Premiership, both from a financial and a sporting point of view. "Here the whole stadium cheers when there's a good tackle."
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Spain. The 25-year-old, who arrived from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2004, has instead vowed to play his part in reeling in second-placed Chelsea in the Premiership.
Alonso told the club's official website: "I do not speak about the rumours of my return to Spain. "I have a contract signed with the Reds and I am happy at this club. "Now Liverpool are playing to our best level of the season. This is perfect for the beginning of the year with the next big challenges.
"To get to third place is very important for morale for us after the problems in the first months of the league. Now our objective is to consolidate the effort."
David Beckham will not leave Real Madrid during the current transfer window and is about to reopen talks over a new deal at the Bernabeu, according to the former England captain's spokesman.
Speculation has been rife that the 31-year-old will quit the Spanish giants this month after finding first-team opportunities hard to come by this season. But, rather than fishing for a move away from the club he joined in 2003, the player's spokesman, Simon Oliveira, has claimed discussions on a two-year extension to his current deal, which expires in June, will open next week.
"There is a significant deal on the table from Real," he said. "It's slightly more than he's on at the moment. "They are the only club we are genuinely talking to at the moment and another meeting is scheduled for the second week of January." -
The Transfer Window - day four
Former West Ham bosses Glenn Roeder and Alan Pardew are on a collision course in the race to sign Upton Park marksman Marlon Harewood. Both Newcastle and Charlton require more firepower to climb the Premiership table with the Magpies also interested in Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka now that Everton have insisted James Beattie is not for sale.
Harewood needs a change of scenery as he has struggled for form this season, along with the rest of the Hammers squad, and new boss Alan Curbishley is preparing to clear the decks in the next few weeks in a desperate bid to prevent the East End club from sliding into the Championship.
Outspoken Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun is also on his way with Portsmouth interested if Boro beat them to the £4million capture of West Brom midfielder Zoltan Gera.
Meanwhile, Newcastle are also in need of players to strengthen their defence and Manchester United's England international Wes Brown and Middlesbrough's Chris Riggott top the options they are currently examining.
Watford boss Adrian Boothroyd has revealed three Premiership rivals have asked about the availability of attacker Ashley Young, who is valued at around £5million. The England Under-21 international interests Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal and Aston Villa and Boothroyd knows he will have to fight tooth and nail to keep his young prospect.
"As it stands today, I absolutely do not see him leaving the club this month," the Hornets manager said. "If and when the time is right, and he wants to go, he will go. But the price has to be right and it has to mean the club will be improved."
A groin injury to Pompey left-back Noe Pamarot may prevent Andy Griffin turning his loan spell at Stoke City into a permanent move. Harry Redknapp is short of defenders and will have to bring a couple in before letting Griffin leave as Dejan Stefanovic is struggling to recover from a knee operation he underwent in November.
"Hopefully we can get one or two new players in because losing Pamarot leaves us a bit short at left back with Dejan still a long way from fitness too,' the Fratton Park boss said.
Manchester City have received a boost after discovering Sylvain Distin may spurn the attentions of rival Premiership clubs to stay at Eastlands if they offer him an acceptable new contract. His current deal expires in the summer but the 29-year-old Frenchman revealed: "Several clubs are asking for me and that's very nice but I won't rule out staying at City. "I consider myself lucky to be playing in the Premiership, both from a financial and a sporting point of view."
Reading are closing in on versatile Colchester player Greg Halford, who is just as comfortable in midfield as he is in defence. And the smart money is on boss Steve Coppell going back to former club Crystal Palace to buy Republic of Ireland striker Clinton Morrison as a back-up to Kevin Doyle while Dave Kitson continues to recover from injury. -
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is desperate for more firepower with Dean Ashton unlikely to return to action from his broken ankle before March.
Chelsea might now be tempted to scrap their interest in Bent and turn their attention to TottenhamÂ’s England striker Jermain Defoe.
Hammers boss Curbishley is looking to bolster his defence, with Birmingham’s Matthew Upson a top target. But with so many clubs chasing the England centre-half, Curbishley is ready to make a bid of around £2m for Tottenham’s Anthony Gardner.
He attempted to buy Gardner while boss at Charlton but the move was scuppered by a knee problem.
Spurs boss Martin Jol would want to sign a replacement before letting Gardner leave. -
The Transfer Window - day 5
WATFORD boss Aidy Boothroyd has revealed that six top-flight clubs are after Ashley Young.
The highest bid for the striker, 21, stands at £7million — with Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham, Sheffield United, Arsenal and Liverpool all keen.
Boothroyd said: "Everybody is interested and that is OK.Until Ashley tells me he wants to leave, he will remain a Watford player."
Boothroyd has signed RotherhamÂ’s Will Hoskins and Lee Williamson plus Rangers striker Moses Ashikodi.
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BLACKBURN will make David Bentley a double-your-money offer to keep him at Ewood Park.
Midfielder Bentley can expect to see his wages increased from £15,000 to nearer £30,000 after an impressive first half of the season.
The England Under-21 playerÂ’s form has won plenty of admirers, but Rovers boss Mark Hughes is determined to hang on to him.
Hughes said: "David has really come on this season.
"He has two more years on his contract, but he has gone out and earned himself a better deal."
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WEST BROM have rejected a £5million bid from Spurs for skipper Curtis Davies.
And the Championship side have also turned down Wigan’s improved £3m offer for striker Nathan Ellington.
Midfielder Nigel Quashie is also believed to be a target for Charlton but boss Tony Mowbray insists no player will be allowed to go unless clubs meet their asking price.
He said: "Nobody will be leaving unless the right business is done and the right terms are agreed that suits this club."
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NEILL READY FOR BLACKBURN EXIT
Blackburn manager Mark Hughes admits the club "have been offered significant amounts of money" for captain Lucas Neill.
Neill is a wanted man as he is out of contract in the summer - and there is little prospect of him signing a new deal and remaining at Ewood Park. Liverpool have long been linked with the Australia international full-back, yet they are not the only club chasing the services of the 28-year-old.
However, there is every possibility Neill will stay at Blackburn until the end of the season and move on for free in the summer as Hughes knows his chances of finding a suitable replacement are remote.
Hughes explained: "There's been interest, as I felt there would be when a player of his calibre becomes available. "We've been offered significant amounts of money, but I can't spend it. That's the situation we find ourselves in. "At this stage of the season it's very difficult to buy the quality needed to replace Lucas. -
Hammers' Reo-Coker deadline
NIGEL REO-COKER has been told by West Ham that tomorrow is the deadline for sorting out his future. The Hammers captain was axed for SaturdayÂ’s FA Cup victory over Brighton and now has a big decision to make.
The Londoners have left the 22-year-old midfielder in no doubt he must slap in a transfer request if he wants out — and he has until tomorrow to let the club’s board know his plans.
Tottenham are believed to be prepared to pay around £5million for Reo-Coker. If he leaves without requesting a move, he will pocket £500,000. Asking to go would cost him that sum plus any loyalty bonuses due.
Former Chelsea and Charlton midfielder Alexei Smertin will join the Hammers for a small fee later this week. -
Chelsea unlikely to spend in Kenyon's absence
Chelsea's chief executive, Peter Kenyon, yesterday flew to China, limiting his club's transfer-market opportunities this month. He will spend the next seven days in China, whose national football team will use Chelsea's Cobham training centre as a pre-2008 Olympics warm-up base, from where he is set to make a major commercial-strategy announcement today. The absence of the club's principal negotiator means the Premiership champions are unlikely to conclude any transfer business this week. -
Simunic eyes Blues move
HERTHA BERLIN defender Josip Simunic claims Chelsea want to sign him during the January sales. The Blues need to bolster their defence after injuries to skipper John Terry and Khalid Boulahrouz. Terry is close to full fitness but boss Jose Mourinho is keen to add some cover as the champions bid to close the gap on Premiership leaders Manchester United.
And Simunic, who was famously shown three yellow cards by Graham Poll at the World Cup, believes he is top of Mourinho's shopping list. The 28-year-old Croatian said: "I know of Chelsea's interest in purchasing me. "But that is the only thing I can say. Hertha will have the last word on any transaction."
Simunic is contracted until 2011 but the German club are likely to accept offers around the £5million mark. -
Sunderland sign £2m Arsenal striker
Teenage striker Anthony Stokes admitted Roy Keane's ambition persuaded him to quit Arsenal and join Sunderland in a £2million deal.
Stokes, 18, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the Stadium of Light. He shot to prominence after a spectacular loan spell at Scottish Premier League outfit Falkirk earlier this season, which yielded 16 goals in 18 games.
The loan ended on January 2 and sparked a race for his signature among several clubs - but Stokes opted for promotion-chasing Sunderland. 'I spoke to Roy Keane about everything, he told me his hopes for the club, and it made up my mind,' said Stokes, who could make his debut this weekend against Ipswich.
'I'm excited about the move and it's brilliant to be here. The teenager became the first player to fire back-to-back hat-tricks in the SPL after netting three against Dundee United and then Dunfermline in October.
The Republic of Ireland Under-21 striker becomes the fourth player to arrive at Sunderland since the transfer window opened. He joins Carlos Edwards, signed from Luton for £1.4million, goalkeeper Marton Fulop from Tottenham and Jonny Evans on loan from Manchester United.
Keane, whose side lie three places adrift of the play-off places, said: 'I'm delighted that Anthony has decided to join us. 'We've beaten off competition from a number of high-profile clubs for someone who is a good, young player who can hopefully help us in our push for promotion.'
Stokes made his first-team debut for Arsenal as a substitute against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Carling Cup last season, replacing Arturo Lupoli in the 88th minute. -
West Ham sign midfielder Quashie
West Brom midfielder Nigel Quashie has joined West Ham for an initial £1.5m.
West Ham will pay a further £250,000 if the Hammers avoid relegation this season or regain it in a season in which Quashie has been under contract.
The 28-year-old Scotland international has signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Hammers and could make his debut against Fulham on Saturday.
Quashie has been relegated from the Premiership with QPR, Nottingham Forest, Southampton and West Brom. He joined West Brom from Southampton during the 2006 for £1.2m and made 30 appearances for the club, scoring one goal.
The midfielder becomes boss Alan Curbishley's second signing following the arrival of Luis Boa Morte from Fulham. -
Martins shaken by rumours of Chelsea move
Newcastle United are increasingly concerned that an "agent-driven" plan to move the striker Obafemi Martins to Chelsea in the January transfer window may unsettle the Nigerian. It is said that Chelsea view Martins, who joined Newcastle from Internazionale in August, as a potential pacy partner for Didier Drogba.
"This is agent-driven, it is not from Obafemi Martins or Chelsea," said a senior figure at Newcastle, who pointed out the close working relationship between the Newcastle chairman, Freddy Shepherd, and Chelsea's chief executive, Peter Kenyon. The club are emphatic that Martins is not for sale.
Chelsea may well be in the market for a striker, given their over-reliance on Drogba for goals this season and the relative failure of both Andriy Shevchencko and Salomon Kalou, both bought last summer, to make an impact. The Ukrainian in particular has provided scant return for a £30m investment, and the Ivorian striker Kalou was among those recently singled out for criticism by Jose Mourinho after a string of mediocre performances. The club have been linked with a move for the Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe, who also fits the profile of a small, fast foil to Drogba's powerful game.
A move for Martins, 22, has apparently been the subject of discussion on the Chelsea training pitches as players speculate as to who might be added to the squad. Newcastle do not want to give the story credibility by publicly commenting on it.
Martins signed a five-year contract when he arrived from Internazionale for £10.1m in late August and has handled the burden of inheriting Alan Shearer's No9 jersey with increasing confidence over the past five months. He has nine goals in 22 starts and Newcastle's manager, Glenn Roeder, believes his best form will be seen after his first season in English football. Martins is said to be happy on Tyneside but with Michael Owen still recovering from long-term injury Newcastle can ill afford to lose their main striker. -
O'NEILL LINES UP SWP & ASHLEY
MARTIN O'NEILL has emerged as the new front-runner in the chase for England Under-21 winger Ashley Young, despite having a £6.9million bid rejected by Watford. The Aston Villa boss, whose team were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester United, was also set to win the race to take Shaun Wright-Phillips on loan from Chelsea.
O'Neill has overtaken Spurs and Liverpool in the scramble for Young, who has at least five Premiership clubs vying for his signature. Arsenal and Sheffield United are also interested in £10million rated Young, the most gifted player produced by the Hornets since John Barnes 25 years ago.
But O'Neill has a £20m transfer kitty after being given a licence to spend heavily by Villa's billionaire American owner Randy Lerner. And with Vicarage Road boss Aidy Boothroyd refusing to part with Young if he is only going to sit on the bench at another club while Watford struggle for Premiership survival, O'Neill can offer regular first-team football.
Boothroyd is not obliged to sell, and brought Young on as a substitute against Stockport in the FA Cup on Saturday, saying: "I don't care whether he's cup-tied now because I'm not interested in other people's cup runs. I've made it clear I don't want Ashley to go, but other clubs are interested in him and I can understand that because he's a wonderful player.
"He's quick, a set-piece specialist, can play left, right or down the middle, has an exceptional work ethic, can make goals and score them from all areas.
"But for him to leave, he would have to tell me he wants to join a 'big six' club - and it would take an awful lot of money for that to happen."
O'Neill is confident of taking Wright- Phillips on loan for the rest if the season. He has beaten strong competition from Newcastle and West Ham, who offered £10m and £70,000-a-week, but Wright-Phillips is thought not to want a permanent move as he believes he can still be a success at Chelsea. -
Bale stalls on Saints contract
Gareth Bale has stalled on the offer of a one-year contract extension, prompting disagreement on Southampton's board over whether they should sell the Wales international. Saints have turned down bids in the region of £5m from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, but they are disappointed that the 17-year-old has not yet extended his existing contract which runs until 2008.
Senior sources at St Mary's fear they could eventually be left in a weak negotiating position if Bale decides he wants to leave and his contract has been allowed to run down. Having nurtured Bale through the academy, Southampton do not want to risk losing him cheaply. They remain hopeful that he can be persuaded to sign a new contract by the end of the week, although the indications from the Bale camp are that this is unlikely.
Southampton's manager, George Burley, regards Bale as vital to the club's hopes of promotion to the Premiership and is desperate to keep him at the club until at least the end of the season. Bale, himself, has indicated that he currently does not want to follow his former academy room-mate Theo Walcott into the Premiership.
He is understood to be happy to stay with Southampton, where he will play regular first-team football, and review the situation in the summer. If Southampton do decide to sell, United would appear to be in pole position, although Arsenal and Liverpool are also believed to be monitoring developments.
Bale has been the driving force in Southampton's promotion push this season, scoring five goals from left-back. Last year, he become the youngest-ever Wales international and is tipped by Burley to have the ability to become the best full-back in Britain. -
The Transfer Window - day nine
Arsenal have targeted Marseille winger Franck Ribery and Ajax's Dutch international Ryan Babel as replacements for the unwanted Freddie Ljungberg. The Swedish star has been told he has no future at the Emirates Stadium and is likely to snub a move to West Ham to move to Italy with AC Milan and Juventus both interested. The Hammers are still eager to do business with the Gunners and a pressing to sign Cameroon defender Lauren to help with the battle against relegation.
Alan Curbishley yesterday completed the £2million signing of Scotland midfielder Nigel Quashie from West Brom and will today decide whether to allow Nigel Reo-Coker to join Tottenham.
Spurs are interested in the tough midfielder but are not willing to pay £5m for him. Martin Jol also wants to strengthen his attack with Mido sidelined with a groin injury and has been looking at Kilmarnock striker Steven Naismith, who has scored nine goals for Killie this season.
Portsmouth have cash to spend on transfers, despite reports they are skint, and Harry Redknapp is challenging Blackburn Rovers for Belgian striker Emile Mpenza. His top priority, however, is Udinese midfielder Sulley Muntari although the £8m asking price may be a bit steep so Pompey want to bring him in on loan before deciding whether the Ghana international is worth the money.
Liverpool have begun a legal battle to complete the transfer of Javier Mascherano from West Ham. The midfielder played for Brazilian club Corinthians after last year's World Cup before moving to Upton Park and FIFA regulations mean he cannot play for another club this season. Liverpool's lawyers have been briefed to argue no-one is suffering from the governing body's restrictions except the 22-year-old.
Claudio Reyna is heading back to the United States where he is likely to play for Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls.
The 33-year-old will agree to cancel the remaining six months of his contract with Manchester City, saving manager Stuart Pearce around £600,000 which can be redirected towards paying the wages of a new recruit, probably on loan.
Newcastle misfit Albert Luque is wanted by PSV Eindhoven, who have asked to take him on loan for 18 months -
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RAFA BENITEZ will have to cough up around £2million to take Blackburn full-back Lucas Neill to Anfield this month.
The Liverpool boss is unwilling to go beyond £500,000 for the 28-year-old Aussie, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Benitez is also opposed to letting Stephen Warnock, 25, move to Ewood Park as part of the deal.
Yet Rovers are digging their heels in over Neill, despite the fact that they know he can leave for nothing in the next transfer window. And they will continue to hold out for an acceptable fee, effectively forcing Benitez to pay what he considers over the odds, or risk missing out.
Benitez is also looking at SampdoriaÂ’s highly-rated 21-year-old keeper Daniele Padelli. -
Today's top transfer talk
January 11, 2007
TOTTENHAM are chasing Wes Brown and will soon test Manchester United’s resolve with a £5million bid.
Spurs boss Martin Jol is after a top central defender to bolster his push for a Champions League place.
Jol has been snubbed by West HamÂ’s Anton Ferdinand and Argentine Fabricio Coloccini of Deportivo La Coruna.
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FULHAM reckon they can beat West Ham to the £1million signing of midfield man Alexei Smertin, 31.
But Dinamo MoscowÂ’s Russia international has already had a medical at West Ham.
Fulham did complete a £2m deal for USA midfielder Clint Dempsey, 23, after the New England star finally received a work permit.
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BLACKBURN are weighing up a move for West Ham full-back Paul Konchesky, 25, as a replacement for Lucas Neill, if the Aussie ace quits Ewood.
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PORTSMOUTH have been priced out of the race for ArsenalÂ’s midfield player Freddie Ljungberg and Southend ace Freddy Eastwood.
Boss Harry Redknapp said: “I doubt we’ll see Ljungberg signing for us. I like Eastwood but at £4million he’s a lot.”
Pompey, though, have signed French midfielder Arnold Mvuemba, 21, on loan from Rennes. -
FOOTBALL TRANSFER WINDOW - LATEST!
STUART Pearce has insisted three of his club's biggest stars will NOT be leaving the club this month. The Manchester City boss said today that Micah Richards, Joey Barton and Sylvain Distin would not be sold. But he will allow out-of-favour defender Danny Mills to leave.
CHARLTON have had a £1.3million bid for Sheffield Wednesday defender Madjid Bougherra rejected by the Championship club. CHARLTON are understood to be leading the race to sign unsettled Sevilla striker Kepa Blanco. The 22-year-old is a reported target of several Premiership clubs but it appears the struggling Londoners have made the early running to take him on loan until the end of the season.
RAFAEL Benitez has wasted no time in moving to sort out Liverpool's defensive frailties following their Carling Cup hammering last night. The Reds boss has strengthened his goalkeeping staff by signing Sampdoria's Daniele Padelli on a six-month loan deal.
The Italy Under-21 goalkeeper is expected to undergo a medical today before joining the Anfield outfit. Padelli, one of Italy's most promising goalkeepers, joined Serie B side Crotone on loan from Sampdoria in the summer with the aim of getting some first-team football under his belt.
However, the 21-year-old has merely served as an understudy to Salvatore Soviero, playing in just one league game, leading Sampdoria to cancel the deal. -
Traore signs for Portsmouth
Djimi Traore today moved for the second time in less than five months, completing a £1m transfer to Portsmouth.
Then-Charlton manager Iain Dowie paid £2m to bring Traore to the Valley from Liverpool back in August, but he made just 13 appearances for the Addicks, and found himself surplus to requirements under new boss Alan Pardew, who is keen to raise funds so he can bring in a few new faces of his own this January.
Traore has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Fratton Park, and is joined by France Under-21 midfielder Arnold Mvuemba, who has signed on loan from Rennes until May, with an option for Pompey to buy him outright at the end of the season. -
£750k Stead swaps Sunderland for Sheffield
Sheffield United will sign Jon Stead from Sunderland this morning for an initial fee of £750,000.
The 23-year-old striker will sign a three-and-a-half-year deal at Bramall Lane.
Sunderland could eventually receive up to £1.25million for Stead, who has been on loan at Derby for the last three months.
Stead, who has passed a medical and will complete his transfer to South Yorkshire this morning, cost Sunderland £1.8million when they bought him from Blackburn in the summer of 2005 but scored only one goal as the Black Cats were relegated from the Premiership.
However, United boss Neil Warnock has turned to him after claiming Preston striker David Nugent was 'outrageously overpriced'.
With money to spend in the transfer window, it is believed Warnock recently made a club record-breaking bid of £6million via instalments for the England Under-21 international.
The Premiership club have also been linked with Northern Ireland striker David Healy, whose former Leeds team-mate Matthew Kilgallon moved to Bramall Lane for £1.75million earlier this week. -
Man City and Charlton agree Thatcher fee
Manchester City full-back Ben Thatcher is set to hold talks with Charlton after the two clubs agreed a fee for the former Wales international.
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City boss Stuart Pearce is ready to let Thatcher leave Eastlands with Stephen Jordan currently the first choice at left back and centre back Sylvain Distin also able to provide cover in that position.
'The clubs have agreed a fee and the player is speaking with Charlton,' said Pearce. 'That's as far as we are now.
'The finance we can gain from Ben going can be invested in other positions in the team.
'I believe I have enough cover to cope in his absence.' -
Today's top transfer talk
DAVID DUNN will end his Birmingham nightmare by moving to Bolton.
The former England midfielder, 27, had his medical at the Reebok Stadium yesterday and is set to complete a £1million move in the next 48 hours.
Blues chief Steve Bruce needs to recoup cash after spending £3.5m on Luton striker Rowan Vine yesterday. Vine, 24, passed his medical at St Andrews and penned a 3½-year deal with the Championship leaders. He is set to make his debut for Blues against Leeds at home on Saturday.
Injury-prone Dunn has played just 11 games this season and 55 times since signing from Blackburn for £5.5m in July 2003. Bruce reluctantly decided to let Dunn move back to his native North West due to his poor injury record.
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ERIC DJEMBA-DJEMBA has joined Burnley on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season. Clarets boss Steve Cotterill views Djemba-Djemba as the ideal replacement for Micah Hyde, who moved to Peterborough for £75,000 yesterday.
The 25-year-old failed to make an impact in the Midlands following a £1.3million switch from Manchester United in January 2005. But Cotterill is confident the Cameroon ace can regain his best form.
He said: "Eric has good pedigree and we are hoping that once we get him fit he will be a good addition to the squad for the rest of the season. "It shows something about the boy's character that he is prepared to drop down from the Premiership to play for Burnley."
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ALAN PARDEW believes bad-boy Ben Thatcher will add the fighting spirit Charlton need to stay up. Thatcher, who infamously KO’d Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes in a clash in August and was banned for eight weeks, joined the Addicks in a £500,000 deal yesterday. And boss Pardew believes the ex-Manchester City defender will help his side scrap their way out of relegation trouble.
Pardew said: “I think he is a committed player and has the character we need to get us going. “His discipline problems never entered my mind. “I just felt we are going to need a tougher, harder edge if we are going to get out of this mess.”
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BRIAN LAWS has blasted Charlton chief Alan Pardew for failing to ring him before making a £1.3million swoop for Madjid Bougherra. Sheffield Wednesday boss Laws rejected the bid for his Algeria defender Bougherra, 24. And he rapped: “I’m not happy I’ve not even had a courtesy call from Charlton’s management to ask if the player is available.
“Is that the reason they’re at the bottom of the league? They didn’t do it in the right way.”
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HARRY REDKNAPP hopes to make West HamÂ’s Yossi Benayoun his next Portsmouth signing.
The Israeli midfielder, 26, has struggled this season and wants out of Upton Park. He is likely to move to Pompey, initially on a six-month loan deal. Redknapp yesterday snapped up Charlton’s former Liverpool defender Djimi Traore in a £1million deal, which sees Andy O’Brien move in the other direction.
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WEST HAM have joined the race for Blackburn skipper Lucas Neill. The Hammers want to swap Paul Konchesky and receive cash, but Rovers are not keen.
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STEVE COPPELL has made a fresh £1.5million bid for Colchester full-back Greg Halford.
The Reading boss failed with a £1m approach for Halford, 22, last week. But Premiership rivals Sheffield United are also closing in on the the highly-rated defender. Coppell is moving to keep unsettled midfielder Steve Sidwell and is prepared to offer him a £23,000-a-week pay deal.
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MANCHESTER CITY reject Danny Mills will have to take a £20,000-a-week wage cut if he wants to make his loan move to Hull permanent after being shown the door at Eastlands. -
Villa will allow Milan Baros join Lyon, where he will be reunited with former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, but want to bring in a replacement first.
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is determined to buy British even though his attempts to land a top Premiership striker have been rejected by four clubs.
He has been snubbed by Liverpool, who will not let him buy Craig Bellamy, while Tottenham want to keep Robbie Keane and Chelsea are refusing to allow Shaun Wright-Phillips leave on loan.
On top of that, Watford have accepted a £10m bid from West Ham for England under-21 international Ashley Young and the price is too high for Villa even though Randy Lerner is willing to give O'Neill funds in the transfer market.
"Our ambition is to get world-class players into our team - to join some of the very good players we already have here," said O'Neill.
"The top sides in the country are very good and have the squads to match. Our aim and ambition is to have a squad capable of sustaining things throughout the season. -
CURBS' £4M FOR UPSON
WEST HAM last night launched a £4million bid for Birmingham's Matthew Upson - but City responded by telling the cash-rich Premiership strugglers they would have to double their offer.
Upson still has 18 months left on his contract and Championship leaders City are reluctant to sell. The 27-year-old former England centre-back is also wanted by Newcastle and Spurs, but West Ham are the first to make a formal bid.
The Hammers, three points adrift in the drop zone under new boss Alan Curbishley, face a defensive crisis, with Danny Gabbidon and James Collins suffering from hamstring strains.
But since the takeover of Upton Park by Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson and the appointment of Alan Curbishley as manager, the club have found themselves held to ransom in the transfer market.
With Upson previously available for £6m, the Hammers must decide how desperate they are to bolster their squad in their battle to stay in the top flight.
Upson moved to St Andrews in January 2003 for a knockdown £1m after becoming frustrated with life in the reserves at Arsenal. -
Alan Curbishley has completed the signing of Calum Davenport from Tottenham to bolster his defence in West Ham's bid for Premiership survival.
Davenport, 24, was at White Hart Lane for just over two years but has struggled to hold down a regular place, despite a recent run in the team following Ledley King's bruised foot.
"We have reached agreement with West Ham for the transfer of Calum Davenport to Upton Park," confirmed a statement on the Spurs website, tottenhamhotspur.com.
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Henzie denies United exit rumours
Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze has denied reports he is on his way out of the club in the January transfer window.
The Argentina international has struggled to regain his place in the side with Patrice Evra impressing at left-back and Sir Alex Ferguson also interested in Southampton youngster Gareth Bale.
But despite interest from Italian giants AC Milan Heinze, who cost nearly £7million three years ago, could see out his contract until the end of the season.
He told the Daily Star: "I know the interest from Milan for me but now the decision remains with Manchester United.
"I have a contract signed until June 2007 and I do not want to go anywhere. I do not want to be sold in January. I want to wait until June to see what happens.
"I am happy in Manchester with my work and I want to try and get back in the team, but it is the coach who picks the 11."
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£2m Ben Haim is too much for Chelsea
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon attempted to pacify Jose Mourinho last night by releasing a statement detailing the reasons behind the club's decision to pull the plug on their attempts to sign Tal Ben Haim.
Mourinho's fragile truce with the Chelsea board was back in the balance after the club claimed that they could not reach an agreement with Bolton after nearly two weeks of talks.
Bolton wanted £2m for the defender, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but Chelsea were not prepared to back their manager's judgement and offered a fraction of that figure.
Manager Sam Allardyce has now warned rival clubs they will not be allowed to pick up in-demand centre-back Tal Ben Haim on the cheap and unless their valuation of the player is met by next week he will stay at the Reebok.
"At the moment it looks like he will be here for the rest of the season," said the Wanderers boss. "We have not had an acceptable offer from any club at the moment.
"Unless that changes in the next few days we won't be accepting anything, probably going into next week, because whatever comes in that week means we would have no time to go out and spend that money on somebody else."
Allardyce admitted he was looking for a replacement for the centre-back but did not have the money to bring one in unless the club received a transfer fee for Ben Haim.
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Birmingham reject Hammers' Upson bid
Birmingham have rejected a £4million bid from West Ham for central defender Matthew Upson. Blues boss Steve Bruce has constantly stressed he is under no pressure to sell Upson during the January transfer window.
And in any case the bid made by the Hammers falls well short of Blues' valuation of the former Arsenal player - believed to be around £6million.
Alan Curbishley has injury worries regarding the defensive trio of Daniel Gabbidon, James Collins and Anton Ferdinand and was hoping Upson could solve his problems.
Upson's former club Arsenal would be entitled to a 25 per cent cut of any fee above the £2.5million City paid for him in January 2003.
Bruce is hoping Upson will help Championship leaders Birmingham gain promotion back to the Barclays Premiership and then have a rethink about his future after rejecting a new five-year contract last season.
Bruce's number two Eric Black has emerged as a possible candidate for the vacant Coventry post after Micky Adams was sacked yesterday.
Black previously had a spell in charge of the Sky Blues but was ousted to allow Peter Reid to take over the reins nearly three years ago.
Bruce does not want to lose the services of Black and has consistently praised the part he has played in City's revival this season -
Bayern exits may mean Hargreaves stays
The chances of England midfielder Owen Hargreaves joining Manchester United in the summer have become even more remote with Bayern Munich set to lose the services of several midfielders.
On Tuesday, Sebastian Deisler announced his immediate retirement and that, coupled with the impending transfer of Ali Karimi to Al-Ahli, has left Bayern short of cover in the squad.
The situation will become more acute in the summer when Mehmet Scholl intends to retire and Hasan Salihamidzic will complete an agreed move to Juventus.
That will leave Bundesliga champions Bayern with just four recognised midfielders in Mark van Bommel, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Ottl and Hargreaves.
Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness has indicated that the situation will mean that players will not be allowed to leave.
"It is not the case that we are care-free," he said. "We have got to start being careful with our squad."
Instead, Bayern will themselves be in the market for midfield reinforcements, but Hoeness added that academy prospects would also be given their chance.
"Sometimes enforced restructuring like this is not a bad solution," he said.
United have been interested in Hargreaves since his impressive performances for England during the World Cup in Germany last summer.
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Bobby Zamora could soon be leaving West Ham to provide insurance for Reading as they seek to continue their impressive start to life in the Premiership.
Royals boss Steve Coppell realises that goals are of paramount importance if his club are to compete with the big boys in the top flight.
Bobby Zamora could soon be leaving West Ham to provide insurance for Reading as they seek to continue their impressive start to life in the Premiership.
Royals boss Steve Coppell realises that goals are of paramount importance if his club are to compete with the big boys in the top flight.
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Former Liverpool and Portsmouth midfielder Patrik Berger wants to quit Aston Villa before his contract expires in the summer.
The Czech Republic star has just completed a loan spell with Stoke City and wants to move to the continent to play out the rest of the season.
Villa boss Martin O'Neill revealed: "His agent had mentioned about the possibility of him going somewhere abroad for the last few months. If that materialises, fine.
"If not, then he just gets his head down here and the team will get picked on merit as far as I am concerned. If he is doing well enough, then he will be back in contention."
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Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is unhappy he has lost the race to sign Birmingham midfielder David Dunn.
He has been pipped by Blackburn's last ditch bid for the player who grew up a crossfield pass away from Ewood Park.
"It looks like he's going to Blackburn," said Allardyce. "He's told me that's where he wants to go - simple as that.
"At the 11th hour they have pinched him. We are extremely disappointed but there is not a lot we can do about it.
"I always feel let down when you have got so far down the road spending so much time showing the player this is the best place to be to get his career back on track.
"But it was not quite a big enough pull compared to the town where he was born and bred."
Meanwhile, Allardyce has told Chelsea their £2m offer from defender Ben Tal Haim is nowhere near enough.
