Soccer - Transfer news:Tottenham striker Robbie Keane is shaping up to be the biggest name on the move during tomorrow's transfer deadline day. Keane has fallen out of favour at White Hart Lane with Harry Redknapp viewing Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch as his preferred strike partnership.
Sunderland are the latest club to be linked with a swoop for the Republic of Ireland captain, and are reported to have tabled a bid of around €10 million.
Celtic had a bid turned down earlier this month while West Ham, who were trumped by Spurs in their attempt to sign Eidur Gudjohnsen, have also expressed an interest.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy remained non-committal on the subject of Stephen Hunt after being given a first-hand demonstration of the Hull winger’s virtues yesterday.
Hunt delivered a typical all-action — and goalscoring — performance as relegation rivals Hull and Wolves fought out a 2-2 Premier League draw yesterday.
McCarthy is a keen admirer of the 28-year-old and is thought to have had three bids to sign the Irish international turned down this month.
Yet while McCarthy was willing to sing the praises of the player — whose display was marred slightly by an aberration that led to Wolves’ first equaliser - he would not be drawn on the continued conjecture.
“He’s a very good player but he is also a Hull player,” said McCarthy. “I’ve watched him play for Ireland as well and have never seen him play any other way than he did.
“There’s been a lot of speculation but I have never confirmed or denied anything.”
Stoke, meanwhile, are still pursuing Portsmouth’s England goalkeeper David James and hope to wrap up a deal.
Boss Tony Pulis said: “We’re obviously desperate to get a goalkeeper in before Monday and he’s our target.”
Arsene Wenger has revealed he has over €30 million to spend if he identifies a suitable target, but although Arsenal are in need of a new striker, no fresh arrivals are expected.
Wenger said: “It is not impossible (to sign a player in the transfer window) but at the moment it is unlikely. If we have to add one, even at £30 million (€34.6 million), we can do it.”
Fulham are set to wrap up a loan deal for Stefano Okaka from Roma until the end of the season, while their injury problems will force boss Roy Hodgson to consider signings right up until the deadline.
It has generally been a quiet transfer window and Hodgson offers a simple explanation.
“The fact there hasn’t been much business is hugely significant. Europe is in a major recession,” he said.
“People are losing their houses and businesses, so why should we expect that in football money flies out the window like there’s no tomorrow? A lot of clubs have realised that we’re also victims of the recession and can’t keep spending money that we don’t have.
“Most moves are based on players being loaned out to get game time rather than massive transfers.”
One of the few clubs unaffected by the recession, Manchester City, have been linked with a swoop for Parma’s Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga after a move for Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago broke down.
One player heading out of Eastlands could be Benjani Mwaruwari, whose representatives have been talking to Sunderland and could seal a move before the English transfer window shuts at 5pm.
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce insists any signing of Benjani would not necessarily pave the way for the departure of Kenwyne Jones, with initial interest from Liverpool seemingly cooled.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is hoping for an end to his frustration in the transfer market after moves for Tottenham’s Roman Pavlyuchenko and Liverpool’s Ryan Babel appeared to fall through.
Pavlyuchenko may now be heading back to Russia and Babel has been urged to stay at Anfield by Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez.