Soccer:Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp insists Robbie Keane is staying at White Hart Lane if there are no arrivals between now and end of the transfer window on Tuesday night.
Another Republic of Ireland striker, Anthony Stokes, looks destined for a move, after Hibernian and Celtic agreed a fee for the 22-year-old today.
Shay Given is expected to stay and fight for his place at Manchester City, with reports that that he has decided to take himself off the market.
It is believed Given had a number of meeting with manager Roberto Mancini and football administrator, Brian Marwood, in which he was reassured that he will see plenty of action with the club competing in four competitions.
Redknapp’s comments are reassuring for Keane but he has left the door open for a move, should a replacement arrive in the next 24 hours or so.
"I wouldn't accept an offer for Robbie Keane before the window shuts, not at the moment," he is reported as saying today. "We haven't got anybody else. I couldn't afford to let him go."
Keane, who linked with the Republic of Ireland squad in Dublin today ahead of Euro 2012 qualifiers against Armenia and Andorra, is not short of admirers elsewhere. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are thought to be monitoring his situation closely, while West Ham boss Avram Grant has also expressed his interest in bringing the player to Upton Park.
The Hammers, who remain pointless three games into the new season, are looking to bring in fresh faces before tomorrow’s transfer deadline but funds are proving difficult to come by.
"The club has big, big debts but he (Keane) is a player I would like to get," said the Israeli coach. Grant may need to sell before he can buy, with speculation rife over the Upton Park futures of Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Valon Behrami.
If Liverpool improve their reported offer for Cole, that situation may arise, but it is Spurs' pursuit of Aston Villa's Ashley Young that is more likely to be the catalyst for a Keane move. Villa say there has been no approach yet, nor would they welcome one, but cash plus Keane, may be hard for owner Randy Lerner to turn down.
Meanwhile, Portsmouth manager Steve Cotterill has confirmed that Republic of Ireland defender Marc Wilson is set for a return to the Premier League with Stoke, with a fee plus two players — reported to be his international team-mate Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson — set to move in the other direction.
Cotterill told Portsmouth newspaper The News: “The deal has been agreed with Stoke. Marc has more or less agreed terms up there and we are very close with getting one across the line but the other one still has a little way to travel.
“That is just down to logistics. We have spoken to one of them but the other one was a day later. It’s harder for us to get two players across the line than it is for Stoke to get one.”