The end of the January transfer window is now less than 24 hours away, and several deals are being wrapped up today, with many more to be done before the 5 p.m. deadline on Monday.
England
Manchester City have agreed a fee of about £8m with Newcastle for Shay Given, with the Irish keeper having his medical at his new club today. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Not so fast, eh? The deal’s still going to get done, I’m sure, but I guess we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves just yet.
So is there still room for Roque Santa Cruz at City? That’s not a certainty, but a £20m bid could be launched sometime before the deadline. (The Times)
Analysis: Not being able to put at least one goal past a side that had only 10 men is a sure sign that you might be in need of some firepower, even if it’s going to cost you more than it was supposed to initially.
Aston Villa could be set for a £9m move for Micah Richards. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Villa have been pretty strong defensively in the new year thus far, but with that being an area where injuries have been an issue, this would be an excellent signing for the present and future. But, the big question is not whether City are willing to sell him, but what their price for him is.
Everton have finally signed a new striker, sealing a loan deal for Manchester City flop Jo. (Daily Mail)
Analysis: Jo has a lot to prove after not living up to his high price tag thus far at City, so this is a good opportunity for him to show that he is worth at least half of that £19m. Everton look to be facing a fight from Wigan and West Ham for sixth, and if they want to have any hopes of catching Arsenal for fifth, they need more goals than they’ve been getting.
West Ham are expected to make an £8m bid for Cardiff star Joe Ledley. (The Mirror)
Analysis: That should be good enough to land him, unless Cardiff decide to change their minds and ask for more than the £6m that they asked Wigan for recently.
Darren Bent may have helped his Tottenham prospects with a brace at Bolton yesterday, but he’s still being linked with a move away from White Hart Lane today, with Sunderland (The Mirror) and Hull (News of the World) both interested.
Analysis: With Jermain Defoe being out for an extended period of time with his metatarsal injury, Bent could still have a place in Harry Redknapp’s plans, and he showed that he’s ready and willing to fight for his future and for survival with his double haul at the Reebok.
Portsmouth are working hard to sign a new striker before the deadline, and they are currently in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over Greek star Theofanis Gekas (The Mirror), with Aston Villa’s Marlon Harewood also an option (The Mirror).
Analysis: Gekas was the Bundesliga’s top scorer two seasons ago and scored 11 league goals last season, but he’s been reduced to only substitute appearances this season with Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kiesling the preferred pairing up front.
Wolves are set to seal a £2.5m deal for Hearts defender Christophe Berra. (BBC Sport)
Analysis: Wolves have had no problems finding the net this season, but they’re in the middle of the pack in the Championship when it comes to allowing goals, so signing a quality defender like Berra will be a big help to their hopes of staying atop the Championship table for the long haul.
Birmingham have made an improved £1.5m offer for Doncaster Rovers defender Matt Mills after having an initial offer of £1m turned down. (The Mirror)
Analysis: Mills didn’t make much of a breakthrough at either Southampton or Manchester City, but impressing at Doncaster could help him have a chance to show what he can do in the top flight if Birmingham make a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Scotland
Celtic have made an approach for Hibs striker Steven Fletcher, and the Scotland international is hopeful that the move will go through, so that he can take his career to the next level. (The Guardian)
Analysis: It is about time for him to move on, since there’s only so much he can do at Hibs, but will this be the point where his career really takes off, or will his Celtic spell be largely forgettable like Derek Riordan’s?
If you’ve spotted a juicy rumor that we’ve missed, post it in the comments along with a link to the source.
And if you want to keep up with all of the latest confirmed transfers from several of Europe’s top leagues, check out our updated January 2009 transfer lists.
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