The Daily Mail reports that the Benjani situation has just got even more confusing after Man City pulled out because a medical highlighted some dodgy knee problems for the Zimbabwean striker. On top of all that guff, there are whispers that Benjani doesn’t even want to move, which may see the lawyers rolling in, to try and make sense of the spaghetti junction of red tape and try and sort out Benjani’s future. Mail journo Neil Ashton writes:

“Although League officials confirmed on Friday that the correct documentation arrived from both clubs, their lawyers are sifting through a legal minefield after City refused to go through with the deal.

“City boss Sven Goran Eriksson maintains he wants to sign the Pompey striker but City officials are not convinced the player wants to move.

“Benjani missed the 3.15pm flight from Eastleigh and then, to City’s consternation, the next plane that left at 5pm.

“The following flight to Manchester was cancelled before Benjani arrived on the delayed 8.50, reaching the Carrington complex at 11.10pm for a short, unsatisfactory medical.”

All this opens up the possibility that Benjani might remain a Portsmouth player, something that manager Redknapp isn’t too chuffed about, Redknapp said:

“The worst case scenario is we get Benjani back, but £9m for someone who is nearly 30 is good money. The two deals were tied in. I wouldn’t have got Defoe if I didn’t think Benjani was going.

“I was sitting in the office when Peter Storrie (chief executive) got a call from City and said ‘yes, it’s done’. He was told the forms were being faxed through and the deal was done.

“Peter got our forms faxed off for Defoe with a minute to spare. Then we had a phone call at about 12.30am to say Benjani’s forms hadn’t gone through.

“He’s still in Manchester. He was late getting there and that caused a problem. He knew the night before but he took a long time arriving. We were reluctant to lose him but I still think the deal will go through.”

So the lawyers look like they will be in a complicated battle, and in the meantime Benjani will be twiddling his thumbs, unsure about which team he’ll be playing for and feeling unwanted by both clubs.

Picking through the wreckage of the late late transfer window dealings….

Kevin Keegan played the role of ‘Transfer Scrooge’ this deadline day…
…He vetoed a Swindon bid for England U-19 international Andy Carroll. (The Sun)
…pulled out of a move for centre-back Alvaro from Levante. (The Sun)
…And he also plans to have ‘crisis talks’ with Charles N’Zogbia, who appears to want to run far, far away in the summer. (Daily Star)

Everton boss David Moyes had a busy deadline day, flogging both veteran defender Alan Stubbs to Derby and Brazilian nonentity Anderson to Barnsley, whilst also finding time to pick up a 6’5″ defender on his way home. Shame the defender’s name is Anthony Gardner. (Various)

Benjani Mwaruwari’s move from Portsmouth to Man City still hasn’t been confirmed by the FA, which claims it didn’t receive the paperwork in time. (Various)
…All of which has left ‘Arry Redknapp in a sticky situation as he was counting on the Benjani dosh to finance his raid for Jermain Defoe. (BBC)
…And the actual amount that ‘Arry paid is also open to debate:
£12m (Daily Star)
£9m (Daily Mail)
£7m (Various)

Spurs boss Juande Ramos signed Hertha Berlin’s Brazilian left-back Gilberto from Hertha Berlin before the midnight deadline. (Express)

And Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez managed to convince his shady American paymasters to cough up a whopping £18.6m to pay the shady figures at MSI for Javier Mascherano’s shady midfield services.(Various)

And Rangers had a last minute sniff around Italian striker Andrea Caracciolo from Sampdoria but it was a case of too little too late. (Daily Record)

Bolton’s ginger supremo Gary Megson didn’t manage to bag Reading striker Leroy Lita despite frantically waving £7m around like a deranged city trader. (The Sun)

After getting his hopes up over a £2m move for goalkeeper Brad Guzan from Chivas USA, Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill had to cry himself to sleep on deadline night. (The Sun)

Tottenham boss Juande Ramos is trying to slide under the closing transfer window with Sevilla winger Diego Capel. (Mirror)

Arsenal striker Theo Walcott doesn’t want to be fobbed off with a loan deal and is going to stay and fight like a man for his place in the team. (Mirror)

Portsmouth gaffer Harry Redknapp is so desperate to get his hands on Real Mallorca winger Jonas Gutierrez that he is set to offer £5m and Lauren in order to bag his man. (Various)
…And if Benjani does a runner to Man City then Harry Redknapp will try and lure Jermain Defoe to Pompey. (Times)

Middlesbrough, frankly desperate for someone who can stick the ball in the back of the net, are trying to bag Inter Milan forward Goran Slavkovski on loan. (Times)

Aston Villa are Interested in taking Spurs midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng to Villa Park to rescue the German from his tepid Spurs career. (Times)

Both Norwich and Coventry are scrambling to secure the signature of Birmingham defender Martin Taylor. (Times)

Newcastle gaffer Kevin Keegan’s move for Levante’s Brazilian defender Alvaro has run aground. (Times)

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson reckons that if he ignores the fact that FIFA have blocked his deal for Rangers striker Daniel Cousin, he’ll be able to sign him anyway. (Mirror)

Charlton will only cough up Andy Reid if Sunderland give them Greg Halford and are ready to test Sunderland’s resolve by asking for cash plus Greg Halford in exchange for Andy Reid. (Star)

The Lord of The Ferg is disgusted with the state of the Old Trafford pitch and has demanded that it be re-turfed, before it adversely affects United’s title bid. (The Sun)

Derby have snubbed Newcastle who have come blustering in with a less than satisfactory opening offer for winger Giles Barnes. (Daily Telegraph)
…And Newcastle also want FC Brno’s Czech midfielder Luboš Kalouda and are locked in a battle with Juventus for his signature. (Times)

Newcastle are after Levante’s Brazilian defender Alvaro to shore up his weeping sore of a defence, but will have to beat off stong interest from Birmingham. (Various)

Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson is after Portsmouth’s Zimbabwean striker Benjani Mwaruwari and is prepared to shower Harry Redknapp with £5m if he lets his star striker leave. (Daily Mail)

…And Harry Redknapp may sanction the sale of Benjani Mwaruwari if he manages to get his paws on Real Mallorca’s Argentinian striker Jonas Gutierrez, a player who seems to think it is ‘cool’ to throw a Spiderman mask on everytime he scores. (Various)

Man City’s Sven ‘Svengali’ Eriksson is plotting a raid on Valencia for Miguel Angel Angulo. (Daily Mail)

…And Eriksson is ready to ship off out of favour midfielder Ousmane Dabo to Siena on loan. (Various)

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Lassana Diarra wasn’t exactly complimentary about Portsmouth when he signed from Arsenal earlier this month, yet that hasn’t stopped the midfielder from receiving the plaudits from team-mates after a goal and fine all-round performance in his team’s 2-1 victory over Plymouth on Saturday. The Daily Mail reports that at least the Frenchman can finally start to feel appreciated at a Premier League club, albeit a ‘smaller’ one!

‘I know him from when were together at Chelsea,’ said Glen Johnson said: ‘He didn’t suffer it as long as I did but he has been down pretty much the same road as me.

‘We are happy to have him here and it is good for him to be playing every week. He is brilliant. He is like a young Makelele with pace.’

‘Chelsea and Arsenal don’t go for players who don’t have quality,’ reasoned Niko Kranjcar. ‘You don’t play for the Under 21s or the senior French team if you are not a quality player.

‘You take a step at a time in your career but your final goal is always to get as high as you can and do everything you can to achieve that.’

Will Diarra’s Fratton Park career be short-lived or will he still be a Pompey player this time next season? At least Harry Redknapp has a quality international player for the next few months as his club bid to land a UEFA Cup qualification place.

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The Daily Mail is cutting through all the chuntering waffle about the Toon job like a machete; they are claiming to have an “Exclusive” – namely that Alan Shearer is going to be offered the job. A pitiful excuse for an “Exclusive” if you ask us…
With Redknapp deciding to stay in his current post, and Hughes doing likewise, Newcastle chiefs are set to try and woo Shearer away from his coddled duvet cover pundit life.
And according to Mail journo’s, an unnamed source linked closely to the Toon directors has given them some new information, that:

“The directors are looking closely at the situation but his appointment would appeal to fans.

“One of the main reasons that Michael Owen is at Newcastle is because of Shearer’s influence. He will attact big-name players,” said the source, who did not wish to be identified.

“Alan Shearer is still very much a part of the directors’ plans.”

But will Alan Shearer be even less keen to take the Newcastle job now that ‘Arry and Mark Hughes turned it down. There is a precedent for this, a few years back, Everton legend Andy Gray was offered the Toffee’s managerial hotseat – and he turned them down flat…Why would Shearer exchange the doss-life as a pundit for the poison St James’ chalice?

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The Daily Mail reports that Harry Redknapp has two choices, he can either stay at Fratton Park and continue with the glorious job that he has done with Portsmouth, or – say the Daily Mail – he can go to Newcastle and get his greasy paws on a huge £20 million transfer ‘war chest’. Mail journo Colin Young says that Redknapp:

“has spoken to a number of influential football people, who have advised him to take the job. A friend said last night: ‘Harry knows Newcastle are a massive club with great ambition. His style of football would go down a storm there. We’re all telling him to take it, but he feels a strong loyalty to Portsmouth.’”

So would Redknapp be a success at Newcastle??

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So Big Sam Allardyce has finally been sacked by Newcastle United, and the whole of the UK can breathe a sigh of relief and wait with baited breath for the next press-led torch burning, pitchfork wielding, managerial witchunt (our money is on Rafa)…
In the meantime, the non-thinking man’s newspaper, The Sun has offered up a couple of options to take the St James’ hotseat. First up is Big Alan Shearer, he of the one handed snooze inducing goal celebration, and someone who is more Geordie that a black and white episode of Byker Grove.
The Sun claims that once they heard about Allardyce’s sacking:

“Toon fans immediately called for their hero Shearer to save the club — but owner Mike Ashley may never put the call in to Barbados, where the former England striker is on holiday.

“Ashley and his influential chum, former Spurs director Paul Kelmsley, are both big admirers of Portsmouth boss Redknapp.”

The BBC, meanwhile, thinks that Shearer will turn down the opportunity anyway, they report that:

“Sources close to Alan Shearer have confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday evening that he is extremely unlikely to be the next manager of Newcastle.

“Shearer says he is currently very happy with his job on Match of the Day.”

So it looks like although Shearer may be the fans favourite but he’d prefers the relaxed life of a mediocre pundit, so the money men seem to have taken a fancy to ‘Appy ‘Arry Redknapp – and the bookies seem to agree, slashing Redknapp’s odds and making him favourite to take over at Newcastle…So who do you think would be a better manager at St James’; Redknapp or Shearer?

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