Early Division One transfer news

Last updated : 04 June 2002 By Tony Scholes

Hayden Foxe - signed for Portsmouth for £400,000
It all seems a matter of wait and see following the collapse of ITV Digital and with the World Cup now under way there is unlikely to be much happening during this month. There have though been four signings made since the end of the season and we can take a look at them.

The only club to have paid out a transfer fee are Portsmouth who last week spent £400,000 on West Ham's Hayden Foxe. This is the second time Harry Redknapp has signed the Australian defender, he brought him to England in March last year from Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. He hasn't been able to win a place in the Hammers' first team and now moves on to try his luck a division lower.

The other three are all free transfers although one of them is high profile and sees the return to Coventry of Gary McAllister from Liverpool, this time as player boss. McAllister took over at the struggling club in mid May at the end of the Premiership season.

Sheffield Wednesday have signed Plymouth Argyle's Jon Beswetherick on a Bosman free transfer. The Liverpool born 24 year-old left back played in 32 of Argyle's league games last season but has chosen to move on after being offered and turning down a new deal at Home Park.

Jon Beswetherick - Bosman move to Hillsborough
Finally Grimsby have taken Watford's young goalkeeper Bradley Hughes on a free transfer, Hughes has still to make a first team appearance and has been signed as cover.

There have been three big departures from the First Division, two of them from new boys Leicester City. They have sold Gary Rowett to Charlton and Robbie Savage to Birmingham for £2.5 million each as they begin to cut their cloth accordingly for life outside the Premiership.

Meanwhile Australian full-back Kevin Muscat has walked out on Wolves at the end of his contract and made his way up to Glasgow to sign for Rangers on a Bosman free transfer. Wolves were very upset with the way the move was handled but Muscat will now be using his elbow in Scottish football next season, another good reason not to allow them into the Nationwide League.

The list of ins and outs since the end of the season are:

Bradford City

Released:

Peter Atherton, Danny Cadamarteri, Benito Carbone, Aiden Davison, Gareth Grant, Gunnar Halle, Wayne Jacobs, Eoin Jess, Claus Jorgensen, Juanjo, Jamie Lawrence, Gary Locke, Stuart McCall, Robert Molenaar, Andy Myers, Lee Sharpe, Andy Tod, Gary Walsh, Ashley Ward, David Wetherall, Gareth Whalley

Brighton and Hove Albion

Released:

Phil Hadland, Chris Jones

Burnley

Released:

Kevin Ball, Luigi Cennamo, Tony Ellis, Lenny Johnrose, Mitchell Thomas, John Williamson

Coventry City

In:

Gary McAllister (from Liverpool - free)

Released:

Gary Breen, Thomas Cudworth, Marc Edworthy, Marcus Hall, Craig Strachan, Paul Trollope

Crystal Palace

Out:

Richard Harris (to Wycombe Wanderers – free)

Released:

Matt Gregg, Simon Rodger

Derby County:

None

Gillingham

None

Grimsby Town

In:

Bradley Hughes (from Watford – free)

Ipswich Town

None

Leicester City

Out:

Gary Rowett (to Charlton Athletic - £2,500,000)

Robbie Savage (to Birmingham City - £2,500,000)

Millwall

Released:

Leon Constantine, Ryan Green, Giovanni Savarese

Norwich City

Released:

Cedric Anselin, Jean-Yues de Blasiis, Paul Dalglish, Fernando Derveld

Nottingham Forest

Out:

Damien Lynch (to Bohemians Dublin – free)

Released:

Gareth Edds, Andy Gray, Niall Hudson

Portsmouth

In:

Hayden Foxe (from West Ham United - £400,000)

Released: Thomas Thogersen

Preston North End

Released:

Steve Basham

Reading

None

Rotherham United

Released:

Cedric Bolima, Paul Dillon

Sheffield United

Out:

Paul Devlin (to Birmingham City - £200,000)

Patrick Suffo (to Numancia, Spain – free)

Released:

Keith Curle, Davy Gysbrechts, Terry Phelan, Andy Woodward

Sheffield Wednesday

In:

Jon Beswetherick (from Plymouth Argyle – free)

Out:

Dean Cropper (to Lincoln City – free)

Released:

Alan Cawley, Kevin Gallagher, Neil Gibson, Steve Harkness, Adam Muller, Sean Roberts, Phillip Scott, Anwar Uddin

Stoke City

None

Walsall

Out:

Dion Scott (to Mansfield Town – free)

Watford

Out:

Bradley Hughes (to Grimsby Town – free)

Released:

Elliott Godfrey, Barrie Matthews, Simon Patterson

Wimbledon

None

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Out:

Kevin Muscat (to Rangers – free)