PHIL BROWN, the Hull City manager, is poised to make Kevin Kilbane his first signing of the transfer window. Brown has been monitoring the Wigan Athletic and Republic of Ireland international for several months and believes his experience will be crucial in helping Hull remain in the Premier League.

Kilbane, who cost Wigan €2.2 million from Everton in 2006, has made only 13 appearances this season and is desperate to secure regular first-team football. The 31-year-old has been told he can leave and is expected to hold talks with the Tigers in the next 48 hours over a €1.1 million move to the KC Stadium.

Hull are set to make their defender Michael Turner one of the highest paid players in their history after opening talks over a new contract worth about €1.1 million a year.

Blackburn Rovers have failed to persuade Sunderland to sell El-Hadji Diouf, who is back in favour at the Stadium of Light under new manager Ricky Sbragia. The Senegal international has started only 11 games for Sunderland since his summer move from Bolton, after falling out of favour with Sbragia's predecessor, Roy Keane.

Hence Sam Allardyce, who worked with Diouf at the Reebok Stadium, was keen to make the 27-year-old forward his first signing at Ewood Park, but an approach has been rejected after a meeting between Diouf and Sbragia this week.

David Healy's agent has dismissed reports the Northern Ireland striker is set to leave Sunderland for Rangers. Reports last night claimed he is being lined up by Rangers as a potential replacement for Kris Boyd, who is poised to join Birmingham. But agent Stephen Hughes told BBC Sport: "I have heard nothing. We are not engineering anything. I spoke to Sunderland earlier this week, and nothing was mentioned."

Jermain Defoe could be hit by a further claim in the bitter dispute with his former agent Sky Andrew if it is found his mother played any part in negotiating his €16.6 million transfer from Portsmouth back to Tottenham Hotspur without being registered to do so.

The England striker, who has started training at Tottenham but has yet to have the paperwork on his transfer signed off by the Premier League, was forced to act as his own agent in the deal because of the ongoing row over his representation.

Defoe is being sued by Andrew for breach of contract, having split with him before completing his €10 million move from Spurs to Portsmouth last January. Andrew has alleged Defoe was illegally represented in that transfer by Mitchell Thomas, the former Tottenham player, who is an unlicensed agent, and that Stuart Peters, a licensed agent, was also involved.

Andrew's claim was heard in November by a three-person arbitration panel, which has yet to announce its verdict. Defoe has been unable to hire fresh representation and so, officially, had to handle his side of the transfer. Yet it is understood that his mother, Sandra St Helen, might have helped him.

The level of her influence is crucial as only Registered Close Relations (RCRs) are allowed under Football Association rules to help in such circumstances. St Helen is not listed as an RCR on the list of agents on the FA's website. Andrew would have scope for a further claim if he could prove that she offered any advice.

The deal has to be signed off by the Premier League by close of play tomorrow for Defoe to be cleared to play at Wigan Athletic on Sunday. The Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is expected to want to start him with Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Stewart Downing is willing to play in Middlesbrough's derby with Sunderland this weekend despite continuing to push for a transfer to Spurs. While he is worried about the reaction of supporters to his submission of a written transfer request this week, Downing will not attempt to force Boro into selling him by refusing to play as he does not want to jeopardise his place in the England squad.

Boro responded to a third Tottenham bid yesterday - €13.8 million up front followed by further payments of €554,000 up to a total of €2.2 million each time the player completes 30 appearances - by issuing a blanket statement. The chief executive, Keith Lamb, said: "We reiterate that no senior players will be leaving this club during January."