Benjani deal close to completion

• turbo_drift

  5 Feb 08, 14:57

  

  Zimbabwe striker Benjani's transfer from Portsmouth to Manchester City looks set to go through on Tuesday.

   

  Premier League officials are reportedly ready to confirm the paperwork was completed by the close of the transfer window at midnight on 31 January.

  Portsmouth will still receive the £7.6m fee agreed last week, although some terms of the deal have been altered.

  Pompey will then be able to match the £7m fee wanted by Spurs in order to make the Jermain Defoe deal permanent.

   

  The south coast club had claimed they only went ahead with the purchase of Defoe from Tottenham after City told them they had submitted the relevant forms for Benjani.

  City said the transfer collapsed because Benjani arrived too late in Manchester to complete the deal before the midnight deadline.