SOCCER TRANSFER NEWS:AS STEVE Bruce got on with the business yesterday of recruiting one or more replacements for Darren Bent, Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn ruled out any move by the club for his former international strike partner, Robbie Keane.
“What we are looking for to help (Asamoah) Gyan and Danny Welbeck along is probably a physical presence,” he said. “Robbie works well off a big physical player, but we don’t have that now so Robbie doesn’t quite suit us now.”
Sunderland are reported to be in the market for two strikers and Bruce is said to have discussed a move for Aston Villa’s John Carew even as the deal for Bent was being completed while there has also been an enquiry about Cardiff’s Jay Bothroyd and interest in Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller.
Having cashed in Bent for a fee considered too good to turn down, Emmanuel Adebayor was also a potential target for Sunderland as they look to secure a place in Europe for next season. The club were quickly put off by the striker’s reported €190,000 per week wages.
Keane’s Tottenham team-mate Peter Crouch is a more serious option and Harry Redknapp is reportedly happy to sell the England international as he seeks to make way for a new signing, possibly Luis Fabiano from Seville.
Should Crouch go it would ease the pressure on the club to move Keane on but clearly the arrival of another high-profile frontman would leave the Dubliner no closer to regular first-team action at White Hart Lane, something likely to be of concern to Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni.
It was reported yesterday, however, West Ham are now hoping to sell midfielder Valon Behrami to Fiorentina for around €7 million in order to fund the acquisition of the Ireland skipper.
Shane Long, who has been in terrific form for Reading this year, has also been mentioned in connection with a move to London but manager Brian McDermott insists his players are not for sale.
Another Ireland international striker, Jon Walters, was understandably relieved in the wake of scoring both Stoke’s goals in Tuesday’s FA Cup replay against Cardiff. The 27-year-old hadn’t found the net in nine appearances since getting two against West Brom in November and having started only four of those games, he expressed the hope yesterday he has reminded manager Tony Pulis what he is capable of.
“I think we gave the gaffer a few headaches for this weekend’s game, which can’t be a bad thing,” he said. “There is a lot of quality in the squad now so you have to accept that at times you will be on the sidelines. That is part of being a Premier league footballer.
“You just have to make sure,” he continued, “that you do everything in your power to take your chance when it comes along and hopefully I have done that with my performance this time.”
Willo Flood is around two weeks away from resuming full training with Middlesbrough according to the club’s coaching staff. The Dubliner dislocated a kneecap against Ipswich on the opening day of the Championship season when he collided with a team-mate.
Derby County have handed contract extensions to Irish youth internationals Jeff Hendrick and Ryan Connolly.
- HAVINGconfirmed earlier in the week Ryan Guy is returning home to America, St Patrick's Athletic have completed the signing of former Waterford United player Daryl Kavanagh.
“He’s a player I would have known about for some time,” said manager Pete Mahon yesterday, “but he would have come to prominence recently with the PFAI team that went to Norway. We’ve gone to a lot of effort to sign him but I feel he is the kind of player that will definitely enhance our squad, he’s still only 24 but he’s already had five or six years’ experience in the league and he can play either up front or out wide on the right.”
