With only three Premier League clubs adding to their squad so far it has been a quiet start to the transfer window but – despite the credit crunch – there is likely to be a shopping spree.
Everyone expected
Portsmouth to offload a host of stars but, at present, they have splashed out £4.4m to add Nadir Belhjaj to their squad on a permanent basis.
However,
Jermain Defoe is on his way back to
Spurs – pending a medical – who are also chasing
Middlesbrough’s Stewart Downing.
Spurs have had a bid rebuffed from Middlesbrough and manager Harry Redknapp has also come under fire for returning to his old club for Defoe but he insists his conscience is clear.
“The club made an offer and I know the chairman has made a big offer for him (Downing),” Redknapp told Sky sports News."But Middlesbrough are a good club and if the chairman (Steve Gibson) decides he doesn't want to sell him, that's his right to do that and that's the end of that one.”
Boro chief executive Keith Lamb said: "We received a written transfer request from Stewart this morning. It was considered before being rejected. Prior to receiving the transfer request, we received an improved offer for Stewart from Tottenham.”
He added: “We immediately rejected this offer and informed Tottenham that Stewart Downing is not for sale and any further interest they have in the player will not be entertained."
Steven Appiah is also training with Spurs as Redknapp moves into wheeler-dealer mode in a bid to lift them away from the relegation zone.
Rumours
Championship strugglers Barnsley have approached League Two outfit Chesterfield with an undisclosed bid for highly-rated young striker Jamie Ward. The 22-year-old is out of contract in the summer and turned down the Spireites' offer of a new deal at the end of last year.
His 16 goals in all competitions this season have brought Ward to the attention of at least one other Championship club. However, should Chesterfield sell the diminutive forward they must pay his former club Torquay 25 per cent of the fee as Ward joined the Spireites from the Devon club in a £100,000 deal in January 2007.
The newspapers are full of rumours and a selection of stories from the tabloids are as follows…
According to the Daily Mail Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies wants to sign goalkeeper Stephen Bywater from former club Derby County for around £250,000 whilst Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is ready to move for Hearts centre half Christophe Berra in a £2.5million deal.
Stoke City are ready to sign Quincy Owusu-Abeyie after he was released by Birmingham and West Brom are keen on Portugal striker Ariza Makukula on loan from Benfica.
Portsmouth are weighing up a £5million move for Udinese's Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo whilst Charlton are set to sign James Scowcroft and Carl Fletcher in a double deal with neighbours Crystal Palace.
Reports in The Sun suggest that Manchester City have made a £24million bid for Barcelona midfield star Yaya Toure whereas Hull’s Phil Brown will tie up the £2.5million capture of Kamil Zayatte this week.
Wolves are chasing Charlton midfielder Darren Ambrose and promotion rivals Birmingham plan to attract £3million Argentine striker Gaston Sangoy to Birmingham if Cameron Jerome leaves. The Daily Star claim that Rangers forward Alan Gow is holding talks with Wolves after a £250,000 deal was agreed by the two clubs.
Transfers so far…
Nadir Belhaj (Lens-Portsmouth £4.4m)
Kyle Critchell [Wrexham - York] Loan
Anthony Elding [Crewe - Lincoln] Loan
Curtis Woodhouse [Rushden - Mansfield] Undisclosed
Wayne Bridge [Chelsea - Manchester City] Undisclosed
Hugo Colace [Newell's Old Boys - Barnsley] Undisclosed
Kieran McAnspie [Morton - Dumbarton] Loan
Lee McEvilly [Cambridge - Rochdale] Undisclosed
James Grady [Hamilton Accies - Morton] Free
Tommy Black [unattached - Barnet]
Gary Borrowdale [Coventry - QPR] Undisclosed
Scott Brown [Cheltenham - Port Vale] Free
Adam Chapman [Sheffield United - Oxford] Loan
Drissa Diallo [Milton Keynes Dons - Cheltenham] Free
Heidar Helguson [Bolton - QPR] Undisclosed
Geoff Horsfield [unattached - Lincoln]
Shane Killock [Huddersfield - Oxford] Loan
Adem Ljajic [Partizan Belgrade - Man Utd] Undisclosed
Adem Ljajic [Man Utd - Partizan Belgrade] Season-long loan
Lee Molyneux [Everton - Southampton] Free
Mark Molesley [Grays - Bournemouth] Free
T J Moncur [Fulham - Wycombe] Free
Eddie Nolan [Blackburn - Preston] Undisclosed
Chris O'Grady [Oldham - Bradford] Loan
Tristan Plummer [Bristol City - Torquay] Loan
Wayne Routledge [Aston Villa - QPR] Undisclosed
Andy Sandell [Salisbury - Aldershot] Undisclosed
Robin Shroot (AFC Wimbledon - Birmingham City) Nominal fee
Ryan Smith [Millwall - Southampton] Free
Peter Styvar [MSK Zilina - Bristol City] Undisclosed
Grzegorz Szamotulski [FC Ashdod - Hibernian] Free
Marc Tierney [Shrewsbury - Colchester] Undisclosed
Zoran Tosic [Partizan Belgrade - Man Utd] Undisclosed
Joe Widdowson [West Ham - Grimsby] Loan
Sam Williamson [Man City - Wrexham] Free
Dave Winfield [Aldershot - Salisbury] Loan
Richie Barker [Hartlepool - Rotherham] Undisclosed
Adam Bygrave [Weymouth - Histon] £5,000
Luke Chadwick [Norwich - MK Dons] Free
Jack Cork [Chelsea - Watford] Loan
Wayne Curtis [Morecambe - Barrow ] Loan
Lassana Diarra [Portsmouth - Real Madrid] £20m
Simon Downer [Sutton - Rushden & Diamonds] Free
Richard Graham [Dag & Red - Kettering] Loan
David Gray [Man Utd - Plymouth] Loan
Jonatan Johansson [Malmo - Hibernian] Free
Joss Labadie [West Brom - Shrewsbury] Loan
Graeme Montgomery [Wealdstone - Dag & Red] Undisclosed
Marlon Patterson [Dag & Red - Histon] Loan
