Soccer

Leicester capture Robert Huth on loan deal from Stoke

The German defender is the third player to join the Foxes so far in this window

Stoke defender Robert Huth has completed his loan move to Leicester. Photograph: Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images
Stoke defender Robert Huth has completed his loan move to Leicester. Photograph: Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images
Mon Feb 02 2015 - 12:33

Leicester have signed Robert Huth on loan from Stoke until the end of the season.

The defender has fallen out of favour at the Britannia Stadium after injury problems and will add significant Premier League experience to Leicester’s back line.

Huth becomes the third player to join the Foxes in this transfer window following goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and striker Andrej Kramaric.

Huth's loan move t was one of the few confirmed early moves in or out of the Barclays Premier League on transfer deadline day, although Andre Schurrle's proposed switch from Chelsea to Wolfsburg appears close to completion.

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German midfielder Schurrle, who was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £18million in 2013, has found himself on the fringes of the Blues side this season under Jose Mourinho.

Representatives of the 24-year-old were pictured at Wolfsburg earlier on Monday, while the Bundesliga website also listed the player on its transfer page, with the German deadline set at 5pm GMT. Chelsea are said to be expecting a £24million down payment on Schurrle, who is reported to be set for a four-year contract worth around £86,000 a week.

Once the Schurrle deal goes through, Chelsea are then anticipated to be in a position to confirm the signing of Colombia international Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina, who could feature against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Egypt international Mohamed Salah is set to be part of the deal, moving in the opposite direction.

Huth’s move to Leicester was the first major transfer to be confirmed, just after noon on Monday. The 30-year-old German will bolster the Foxes’ defensive options as they fight to stay in the Premier League. The former Chelsea centre-back Huth will, however, serve out a two-game suspension following a misconduct charge from the Football Association and so will not be available until next week’s trip to Arsenal.

QPR boss Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, gave waiting reporters a wave as he drove into the club's Harlington training ground early on Monday. Redknapp is usually one of the busiest managers on deadline day. However, QPR chairman Tony Fernandes indicated he did not expect many major moves to help the club's battle to stay in the Barclays Premier League.

“No more cheque book. We have good players. Bought all the players manager asked for in summer. Our players not mercenaries. Good guys,” Fernandes wrote on his official Twitter account.

"If something interesting comes up we would look at it. But I'm not optimistic. Given the right motivation, tactics and coaching we can achieve much more." QPR have been linked with Cesena forward Gregoire Defrel as well as a loan move for Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, whom Redknapp worked with at White Hart Lane.

Spurs are expected to lead the chase for highly-rated MK Dons teenage midfielder Dele Alli, while defenders Vlad Chiriches and Younes Kaboul could be allowed to leave on loan, most likely to a European side.

Newcastle's Italian defender Davide Santon had announced on Facebook he was set to return to Inter Milan, a post which was subsequently deleted. A loan move is, however, expected for the 24-year-old, whose only appearance so far this season came in the FA Cup third-round defeat to Leicester.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce admits he could do with some more bodies to help cover for mounting injuries. Senegalese defender Kara Mbodj may be loaned from Belgian side Genk, with Hammers' co-owner David Sullivan already on the continent ahead of the 11pm deadline.

There was one confirmed move on Monday morning. Sunderland midfielder Charis Mavrias, 20, has joined Panathinaikos on loan for the remainder of the season.