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Transfer Rumors (Deadline Day Wrap): Celtic land Tottenham’s Keane, Man City snag Boro’s Johnson, Stoke bag Pompey’s Begovic, and more

February 1st, 2010 Eddie Griffin


So, that’s it.

Another transfer window has come and gone, and the January transfer lists are full of names who have switched clubs, either temporarily or permanently.

If you were looking for action and big names moving to and fro, that’ll all be in the summer, and given that it’s a World Cup year and some big performances by names known and unknown stand to have a great impact on the market, what a summer it projects to be.

Still, there was plenty of movement this past month, and though deadline day wasn’t exactly as action-packed as some might hope, one noteworthy name was on the move (again), and a few top clubs were busy making some last-minute additions.

And, for the sake of playing a bit of spoiler, Birmingham City didn’t land any of the strikers they were after, neither did Sunderland, and Roman Pavlyuchenko is still at Tottenham.

Scotland

Keane Set For Celtic Switch

In what was a relatively quiet day in terms of ‘wow’ deals, the biggest comes at the end of the day, as Celtic are wrapping up a loan move for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane. (The Mirror)

Keane looked to be on the way to Sunderland yesterday, and West Ham looked like a possible option earlier today, but while neither of those sides saw fit to dip that deeply into their finances, Celtic are.

Analysis: Celtic may have given up Scott McDonald (more on that below), but they’re greatly upgrading in Keane, who should hit the ground running in Glasgow. More importantly, does this mean that Roman Pavlyuchenko will finally get a game at Tottenham?

England

City Sign Johnson

Manchester City had a much quieter winter window compared to last year, but they ended it with a bang by signing Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson for an initial fee of around 6m. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Part of me thought that Middlesbrough would wait until the end of the season to see if they were able to return to the Premier League and then sell him, but given that they’re on the outside looking in right now, this is the right move at the right time for all parties. Johnson’s good enough to go into Roberto Mancini’s side straight away, but we’ll see if he throws him in immediately or prefers to ease him into the action.

Sunderland Sign Hutton

As it turns out, Sunderland have missed out on Egyptian star Ahmed Al-Muhammadi, as their offer was rejected by ENPPI (Sky Sports). However, the day was not lost for the Black Cats, as they signed Tottenham right back Alan Hutton on loan for the remainder of the season (Sky Sports).

Analysis: With John Mensah fit and two new signings in Hutton and Matthew Kilgallon, there’s no reason why Sunderland shouldn’t be better at the back from here on out. Far too late to make a run at a European place that it was thought they could contend for at the start of the season, but a top-half finish is well within reach.

Stoke Bag Begovic

The deal looked to be in danger for a while, but Stoke City were able to thrash out a 3.25m deal for Portsmouth keeper Asmir Begovic before the window slammed shut. (The Guardian)

Analysis: In the end, things work out well for Stoke (future #1), Begovic (regular first-team football quicker than he would have gotten at Tottenham), David James (gets the first-team football he needs by staying at Portsmouth), and Portsmouth (a helpful injection of cash). The only loser? Tottenham, who weren’t able to find a new keeper today.

New Strike Trio At West Ham

West Ham may have passed on the chance to land Robbie Keane, but perhaps their hope is that at least one of their three new strikers can do the job. Along with the expected signing of Blackburn’s Benni McCarthy, West Ham landed Middlesbrough’s Mido on loan for the remainder of the season. (Daily Mail)

And they went abroad to land a third striker, in Brazilian striker Ilan, who signs on a free transfer after being released from his contract at St. Etienne. (Sky Sports

Analysis: These bargain buys could turn out really well for West Ham. McCarthy is a proven commodity in the Premier League, and so is Mido, who, while he comes with plenty of baggage and red flags, has the talent to be a big hit if he wants to be. This is Ilan’s first foray into the Premier League, but he found the net on a regular basis in Ligue 1, and even just a few goals for West Ham can go a long way for their survival hopes.

Wigan Loan Moreno

Wigan have signed Shakhtar Donetsk striker Marcelo Moreno Martins on loan for the remainder of the season. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Europe hasn’t exactly worked out so well for Moreno so far, as he hasn’t made a significant impact at Shakhtar and wasn’t able to crack the scoresheet in a loan stint at Werder Bremen. However, he has a ton of talent and potential, and if he can show off the finishing abilities that got him to Europe in the first place, this will be a real coup for Wigan. Definite low-risk, high-reward signing.

Boro Make Double Striker Swoop

Middlesbrough greatly strengthened their front line on deadline day, landing Celtic goal-getter Scott McDonald and Aberdeen star Lee Miller. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Even without Adam Johnson, Strachan has a side that could compete for a European spot in the SPL – but will they be good enough to make the playoffs in the Championship? The loss of Johnson takes away both their leading scorer and provider, so we’ll see if the purchases of M & M will have as profound of an impact as they could have.

Italy

Inter Sign Mariga

After Manchester City were unable to work out a work permit for Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga, Inter Milan swooped in to land the Kenya star, who has signed a four-and-a-half year deal. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Mariga is just regaining his match fitness after playing only two matches in almost four months, so it may well a while yet before we see what he can fully do with his new side.

AC Milan Land Mancini

Inter Milan winger Mancini has a new club for at least the remainder of the season, and he didn’t have to go far to complete the move, as Inter have done their archrivals a solid by loaning out the Brazilian. (The Sun)

Analysis: There’s no guarantee that Mancini will see more opportunities with AC Milan than he did with Inter, but it doesn’t hurt to have more quality in key positions when you’re making a run at multiple honors.

“Transfer Rumors (Deadline Day Wrap): Celtic land Tottenham’s Keane, Man City snag Boro’s Johnson, Stoke bag Pompey’s Begovic, and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.



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Transfer Rumors (1 Feb 2010): 20m Man City offer for Real Madrid’s Gago, Tottenham and Stoke battle for James, West Ham talk up Keane loan, and more

February 1st, 2010 Eddie Griffin


It’s the final day of the winter transfer window, and many clubs are thanking the calendar for January 31 falling on a Sunday, as it will allow a number of last-minute deals to be ironed out that might not otherwise be.

At this point, don’t expect to see many, or perhaps even any, notable names added to the January transfer lists, but who knows what surprises the rest of the day could bring. But whether big names or small, rest assured we’ll bring all the latest to you, and along with updates on all of the latest confirmed signings, I’ll be back later with another roundup to recap the deadline day action and say goodbye to another transfer window.

England

City Ga-Ga Over Gago Over Johnson

Manchester City are set to make a £20m bid for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago, according to The Mirror.

Analysis: If you can fetch £20m for someone who’s warming the bench for you, I’d call that good business. Real might see fit to keep him with a need for quality depth over the long haul in mind, but a £20m offer might be hard to turn down when it’d represent a profit for a player whose present and future don’t seem to be in Madrid.

The same report says that City are working hard to do a £6m deal for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

Analysis: Overpaying for Gago, underpaying for Johnson? Sounds about right. Of course, Johnson’s value is hurt by his club’s current status, but that’s another argument for another time.

Spurs Or Stoke For James?

By this time tomorrow, the chances are high that David James will somewhere other than Fratton Park, but will he be in Stoke or in London?

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham could be in for him after missing out on another Portsmouth keeper in Stoke-bound Asmir Begovic.

However, according to The Mirror, Stoke’s Begovic deal is anything but a foregone conclusion, and it could be set to fall through. And if that does indeed happen, then Stoke could be back in for James, who they were trying to land before turning their attention to Begovic.

Analysis: Well, whatever happens, it looks like both Stoke and Tottenham could have a Portsmouth keeper on their books come tomorrow.

Birmingham Jump On Janko

After missing out on most of the Premier League’s available forwards, Alex McLeish could be set for a last-minute swoop for a previous target in Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Perhaps some good fortune could come Birmingham’s way today, even if they can’t land Janko, if Roman Pavlyuchenko’s begging doesn’t fall on deaf ears at White Hart Lane. Jesus, put the man out of his misery already!

Sunderland Set Sights On Beattie

It looked like Tottenham’s Robbie Keane was bound for Sunderland, but neither Keane (too expensive) nor Manchester City’s Benjani (contract stalemate) will be making the switch to the Stadium of Light.

Instead, Sunderland could settle on Stoke City’s James Beattie, as talks are currently ongoing over a £3m deal for the former Southampton star. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Beattie’s not a bad backup option. He’s experienced, he’s proven his worth in the top flight, and he’s also cheap, which doesn’t hurt.

Along with the front line, the back line is a priority for Sunderland, and that same piece says that the Black Cats are trying to push through a £3.5m deal for Tottenham’s Alan Hutton.

They have already completed one deal to strengthen the defense, landing a long-time target in Egyptian star Ahmed Al-Muhammadi for a fee of around £2m. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Sunderland are a-hurtin’ at the back right now, having shipped in 18 goals in their last six league matches and 11 in their last three overall matches, so perhaps it would be worth it to play both Hutton and Al-Muhammadi at right back at the same time. Can’t hurt to try, especially when what you’re trying isn’t working.

Hammers Still Searching For Strikers

West Ham have landed Blackburn’s Benni McCarthy for £2.2m, but they’re still in the hunt for more firepower. St. Etienne striker Ilan could be set to arrive before the window closes, and the Hammers are also hoping to persuade Tottenham to let Keane go on loan. (Daily Mail)

However, money could get in the way of the Keane deal getting done. As per The Mirror, West Ham will have to fork over £1m and pay Keane’s £70k per week salary for the deal to get done.

Analysis: Even though West Ham’s financial situation is improved thanks to the recent takeover, it might not be in their best interests right now to add that sizable salary to the wage bill. On the other hand, the goals that he’d get to keep them up and keep that Premier League money flowing in would make it worth it. That might be a moot point though, if Birmingham can land Pavlyuchenko, because it’s hard to see Harry Redknapp letting both go (even if he doesn’t really intend on playing Pavlyuchenko much if he stayed).

Will Persistence Pay Off For Wolves?

Wolves aren’t giving up on Hull City’s Stephen Hunt without a fight, as they’re set to make a £5m bid for the winger before the window closes. Wolves are also looking to land Everton striker James Vaughan on loan. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: £5m isn’t enough to sell away your best performer to a survival rival. Even £10m might not be, especially with so little time to find reinforcements.

Scotland

Celtic Close On Braafheid

Celtic are leading the race to land Bayern Munich left back Edson Braafheid on loan. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Braafheid has made all of one appearance for Bayern since November, and he needs the regular football in order to assure his place in Holland’s World Cup squad. Perfect opportunity at the perfect time, with Celtic selling Danny Fox to Burnley a few days ago.

“Transfer Rumors (1 Feb 2010): 20m Man City offer for Real Madrid’s Gago, Tottenham and Stoke battle for James, West Ham talk up Keane loan, and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.



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Transfer Rumors (31 Jan 2010): Man United in for Spanish starlet, Tottenham’s Keane set for Sunderland, Everton want dandy Donovan permanently, and more

January 31st, 2010 Eddie Griffin



England

United Move For Canales

Manchester United are looking to swoop in and land highly-rated Racing Santander prospect Sergio Canales. The 18-year-old attacker is wanted by the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City, but Sir Alex Ferguson is set to fly to Spain this week to try to persuade Canales and family to choose United. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: It’d be an impressive capture by United if they can manage to land Canales, considering that they haven’t had nearly as much success with luring Spanish talent as have a couple of their Premier League rivals.

Sunderland Keen On Keane

It looks like Robbie Keane is on his way out of White Hart Lane once again, as Sunderland have had a £9m bid for the Ireland star accepted by Tottenham, according to the News of the World.

Analysis: Last May, Keane and Darren Bent started up front for Tottenham at the Stadium of Light. Oh what a difference seven-plus months make. Things are as crowded as ever up front for Tottenham, so it isn’t a bad move for Keane. Perhaps now Roman Pavlyuchenko will start getting some chances, because it sure doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

Liverpool Jonesin’ For Jones

There’s no telling who Keane’s move opens up the door up for at Spurs, but according to the Daily Mail, Keane’s move to Sunderland will free up the opportunity for either Liverpool or Birmingham to sign Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones.

Analysis: Or perhaps Tottenham, because we all know that Harry Redknapp can never have enough strikers. On a more serious note, Jones has been linked with the exit door all month long, and given that Liverpool were reportedly in talks over a move just this past week, it would appear that they’re the likeliest destination.

Though the news that Keane is off to Sunderland could put a spark in Birmingham’s hopes to land Jones, that same Daily Mail report says that if Jones chooses Liverpool, then Liverpool’s Ryan Babel will be off to Birmingham.

Analysis: Well, if anyone needs to move for the sake of regular football, it’s Babel, so he has to be hoping the first couple of dominoes fall favorably. Annnnd breathe.

City Target Double Swoop

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Premier League, Manchester City are looking to make a couple of signings before the window shuts.

One of their prime targets is Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga, who is also at the top of Inter Milan’s wishlist. City have already agreed terms with Parma, and they’re hurrying to get a work permit in time to land the £7m Kenya star before the window shuts. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: I’m sure City fans will be hoping that his name shows up on the January transfer lists between now and tomorrow evening, and not just because of all of the inevitable burger chain-related headlines and jokes that will stem from signing someone with his first name.

City are also set to step up their efforts to outbid Chelsea and land Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson. Not only would a sweetened cash offer help City’s hopes to land Johnson, but so would the offer to loan Johnson back to Boro for the remainder of the season (The People)

Analysis: They’re likely not going to stump up the full amount that Boro want for Johnson, which could prevent this one from getting done in the January window. But it is only a matter of time before he leaves, and City would be a good place for him to land.

Spurs Splash Out For Kaboul

While Keane is set to end his second stint at Tottenham, Younes Kaboul is just returning for his second go-round at the club, as the French defender has sealed a £5m switch from Portsmouth. (The People)

Analysis: The second time hasn’t been nearly as sweet for Keane, but Kaboul returns to Tottenham a much better player than he left, and that’s good news for a squad that needs some steadiness and durability in the center of defense as they try to fight off Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Manchester City for a Champions League place.

Everton Eye Permanent Donovan Deal

Landon Donovan could be set to make a permanent switch across the Atlantic, as Everton are already eying a permanent move for the American attacker after an impressive start to his loan stint. However, any such deal could have to wait until after the World Cup, according to The People’s reports.

Analysis: This looks like the right opportunity at the right time. This was Donovan’s best (and perhaps last) opportunity to make a real splash in a top European league, and he’s doing it so far. Keep it up, and whatever Everton have to pay will be a bargain.

Begovic Leaves Spurs Begging

For answers, that is, after the promising Portsmouth keeper backed out on a move to Tottenham after having a medical and instead decided to sign with Stoke City in a £3m deal. (The People)

Analysis: Taste of their own medicine? That sure didn’t take long. When it comes down to it though, Stoke is the better option, since he’ll get more opportunities than he likely would at Tottenham. Thomas Sorensen could be off soon enough, and the door for Begovic to be Stoke’s long-term #1 could be wide open sooner rather than later.

Moses Moseys On Down To Wigan

Crystal Palace attacker Victor Moses will be taking his act to the Premier League, and it will be with Wigan, who are snapping up the sought-after starlet in a £2.5m deal. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: This is likely the best move for him, as he’s going somewhere he’ll have the chance to earn regular first-team football sooner than he might elsewhere. For what it’s worth, if you check out his Wikipedia page, not everyone’s as happy about the move as he might be.

Duo Duel For Nagy

Fulham and Wolves are battling it out for African Cup of Nations top scorer Mohamed Nagy, who capped a breakout performance by netting an 85th-minute winner in today’s final triumph over Ghana. (The Mirror)

Analysis: This time last month, ‘Gedo’ had just made his debut with the national team. Now he’s their hero, and considering that Egypt won’t be at the World Cup this summer, now may be as good a time as he’ll ever have to seize the opportunity to move to a top league.

Boro Come Knocking For Nakamura

Gordon Strachan is pressing forward with his attempts to turn his Middlesbrough side into a clone of his former Celtic squad, as he’s now eying up a move for Shunsuke Nakamura, who’s now at Espanyol. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Nakamura hasn’t exactly had a successful start to life at Espanyol, but as much as he might love Gordon Strachan, I don’t think he loves him enough to drop La Liga for the Championship just yet.

Italy

Fiorentina Capture Keirrison

Fiorentina have signed Barcelona striker Keirrison on a two-year loan deal. The option includes a option for a permanent deal for the 21-year-old Brazilian, who is coming off of an unsuccessful loan stint at Benfica. (Goal.com)

Analysis: It would also do them some good to bring in an experienced striker in the wake of the whole Mutu mess, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts to land Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano. Roman Pavlyuchenko, perhaps? The News of the World says so, but we know he’s not going anywhere.

Lazio ‘Hit’ It Big

Lazio have signed former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger from Vfb Suttgart. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Not only does Cristian Ledesma’s impending move to Inter leave a big hole in midfield, but Lazio need reinforcements to help them in their battle to stay in Serie A. Bringing in a player who’s been involved in a survival battle before (with Aston Villa in the 2002/03 season) and has the kind of experience he does will only help their cause.

“Transfer Rumors (31 Jan 2010): Man United in for Spanish starlet, Tottenham’s Keane set for Sunderland, Everton want dandy Donovan permanently, and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.



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Transfer Rumors (29 Jan 2010): Arsenal pass on Nice’s Remy, Birmingham eye prolific Boselli, Bolton loan Gunners starlet Wilshere, and more

January 30th, 2010 Eddie Griffin



England

No Remy Move For Arsenal

Arsenal are passing on making a move for Nice forward Loic Remy due to the French club’s staying firm over a £13m price tag for the highly-touted 23-year-old. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: On one hand, you say ’sure, why not?’, because with such a tight title race, a Champions League run, and a rash of injuries to the forward line to think about, the need is there. But it might just be better to save that £13m for the summer and roll with a soon-to-be-fit Nicklas Bendtner, unless someone like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is somehow available on loan.

Birmingham Close On Boselli?

Birmingham City are said to be close to a club-record move for Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli. The 24-year-old could be set to arrive for £11m, which would surpass the 9m spent on summer signing Cristian Benitez. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Birmingham have swung and missed with their pursuit of Premier League strikers so far, so why not try a target abroad, and a good one at that. Doesn’t seem likely that the deal will happen, but given Boselli’s scoring exploits, it is only a matter of time before he lands somewhere in Europe.

Sunderland In Benjani Talks

Sunderland are in talks with the representatives of Manchester City striker Benjani. (The Sun)

Analysis: Another last-minute January transfer in the cards for Benjani? Can’t say the Premier League would be as nice as they were the last time.

Wilshere Joins Bolton

Bolton have signed Arsenal starlet Jack Wilshere on loan for the remainder of the season. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: With Wilshere and Vladimir Weiss in the fold for the next few months, Bolton supporters should be feeling a lot more chipper than they have been for much of the season. Safe to say that there’s never been a better time to watch Bolton play, even if they’re in the midst of a battle for survival.

Hammers Eye McDonald

West Ham have made an inquiry to Celtic regarding striker Scott McDonald, who’s currently a target for Middlesbrough and has also been linked with Wigan this month. (The Mirror)

Analysis: West Ham are close to landing Benni McCarthy from Blackburn, but they were in the market for multiple forwards and are still in need after losing out on Eidur Gudjohnsen. Celtic Lite, or Boro, rather, have made a £3.5m offer for McDonald, so West Ham need to act quickly if they are serious about him.

O’Hara Returns To Pompey

Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara is back at Portsmouth for a second loan stint, and he’s set to spend the remainder of the season at Fratton Park. (ESPN Soccernet)

Analysis: Well, about time there was some good news for Portsmouth. And there’s never a bad time to mention Danielle Lloyd either. I wonder how she likes it on the south coast?

Burnley Sign Fox

Burnley have completed the signing of Celtic left back Danny Fox for an undisclosed fee. (Football 365)

Analysis: After only leaving the Championship this past summer, I’m sure he doesn’t want to go back that quickly, so it’s safe to safe he’ll be playing his tail off.

Boro Loan Naughton

Middlesbrough have signed Tottenham defender Kyle Naughton on loan for the remainder of the season. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Seeing as how opportunities would’ve been (and ended up being) minimal for Naughton this season, I think it’d have been wise for Tottenham to have immediately loaned him back to Sheffield United as was the case with teammate Kyle Walker. Now, Naughton could have a role in keeping the club who developed him from having a chance to return to the Premier League.

Italy

Fiorentina Eye Rocchi And Tavano

Fiorentina are on the prowl for a new striker, and two of the names on the top of their list are Lazio star Tommaso Rocchi (Transfer Market Web) and Livorno’s Francesco Tavano (Transfer Market Web).

Analysis: Adrian Mutu’s failed drug test could have Fiorentina in a real bind, but even if he escapes a lengthy ban, it’s smart to land some cover either way.

Portugal

Porto Capture Kleber

Porto have signed Brazilian striker Kleber from Cruzeiro for a fee of 5.5 million euros, and they have also loaned out striker Ernesto Farias as part of the deal. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Porto have plenty of depth up front, but only summer signing Falcao is scoring consistently. So, there’s plenty of opportunity for Kleber to have an ample part over the last few months of the season.

Mendes Close To Sporting Switch

Sporting Lisbon have agreed a fee with Rangers for midfielder Pedro Mendes. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Unfortunate that a lengthy injury absence proved to be a difference maker in his chances for regular opportunities this season, but nonetheless it’s the right move.

“Transfer Rumors (29 Jan 2010): Arsenal pass on Nice’s Remy, Birmingham eye prolific Boselli, Bolton loan Gunners starlet Wilshere, and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.



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Transfer Rumors (28 Jan 2010): Man City enter Johnson race, Tottenham in talks for old boy Kaboul, Fulham back in for Roma striker, and more

January 29th, 2010 Eddie Griffin



England

City Move For Johnson

Manchester City have made a bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: As much success as City have had with producing and molding young talent, this move would be a good one for Johnson from a development standpoint. But he could well get lost in the shuffle at City if more big, established names are brought in, so perhaps it might serve him better to make a small step up before making the big step up.

Sneaky Spurs Snatch Gudjohnsen, Close On Kaboul

It looked like former Chelsea star Eidur Gudjohnsen was all set for a move to West Ham, but Tottenham have come in late on and nicked the Monaco man from their clutches. (The Sun)

Analysis: I’m guessing that Harry Redknapp and Daniel Levy might not be on West Ham’s Christmas card list this year. We’ll see if opportunities are nearly as plentiful at White Hart Lane as they would have been at Upton Park, but helping a club fight for the Champions League does sound just a little more appealing than helping a club fight to stay out of the Championship.

Another former Tottenham castoff could be set to make his return to the club soon, as Spurs are in talks with Portsmouth over a deal for defender Younes Kaboul. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: At least when Portsmouth are playing in the Championship, it’ll look a little more natural for them to be Tottenham’s glorified feeder club. Not to mention the fees that Spurs will pay to get [insert name...say, Jamie O'Hara, perhaps] their old players back will decrease.

Fulham Revive Okaka Deal

Roma striker Stefano Okaka was set to fly to London today to try to thrash out a deal with Fulham, as the Cottagers have gone back in for him after their initial loan move had collapsed earlier this month. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Fulham still need some extra options up front after the loss of Clint Dempsey, and they were knocked back in their pursuit of a more experienced striker in FC Basel’s Marco Streller, so time is definitely of the essence here.

Birmingham Close On Dindane

The hits keep on coming for Portsmouth, as Lens have accepted Birmingham’s £4m bid for their on-loan striker Aruna Dindane. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: He’s not quite Ryan Babel, Roman Pavlyuchenko, but he has more Premier League goals (four) than both of them combined (two – two for Babel, none for Pavlyuchenko), and he comes at less than half of what either would cost.

Wolves Bullish On Hunt

The third time wasn’t the charm for Wolves with their pursuit of Hull City star Stephen Hunt, as they had a bid of £3.5m plus add-ons for the former Reading man rejected. Nonetheless, they’re not ready to give up, as a fourth bid is likely forthcoming. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Ah, the annoy until they get tired of saying no and relent method. It’s one that isn’t always successful, but sometimes persistence does pay off. Hunt’s well worth the persistence, that’s for sure.

Burnley In For Fox

Burnley have reportedly made a bid of £1.8m for Celtic defender Danny Fox. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Fox never got a taste of Premier League action during his time at boyhood club Everton, so this is no doubt an appealing chance for a player who, just two years ago today, made the jump from League One to the Championship.

Germany

Frankfurt Land Altintop

Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Turkish international attacker Halil Altintop from Schalke 04. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Eintracht are a surprising seventh in the Bundesliga a little more than halfway through the season, and being able to add someone with the quality and experience that Altintop brings could well help push them into a European place come the end of the season.

Turkey

Fener Fancy Pedersen

Fenerbahce are interested in Blackburn star Morten Gamst Pedersen, and Pedersen has . admitted that a move to the Turkish top flight leaders would be of interest to him. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Pedersen wants to play in the Champions League, and he stands to get that opportunity a lot more quickly somewhere else than he will at Blackburn, so whether they sell him right now (which might be a tough sell, given how close the end of the window is) or lose him for nothing in the summer, it’s looking quite likely that his days at Ewood Park are coming to an end sometime soon.

“Transfer Rumors (28 Jan 2010): Man City enter Johnson race, Tottenham in talks for old boy Kaboul, Fulham back in for Roma striker, and more” was originally published at Soccerlens.com – Football News.



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