|
This time the season has hardly got underway but the new FIFA rules prevent Premiership clubs from involving themselves in the transfer market until January. The Football League clubs still don’t know though whether and how this will effect them. FIFA will supposedly tell them next week.
Nobody has a clue what the answer will be but it could mean no transfers either until January, a decision that will hit the worse off clubs even more than they have been hit already.
There certainly didn’t seem much in the way of rushing to strengthen squads in the last week and the main deals have seen players wave goodbye to the Football League and move into the Premiership.
Two of those benefited Coventry’s bank manager as £4 million came in. David Thompson moved to Blackburn for £1.5 million and Lee Hughes returned to West Brom for a knock down fee of £2.5 million. It is only a year since self-confessed Baggies fan Hughes left for Coventry in a deal that was £5 million plus £1.
West Brom were also hoping to buy Ipswich Town’s Herman Hreidarsson but the Icelandic defender chose to remain in Suffolk. That will be a disappointment to Ipswich who need to raise money and follows on from Matt Holland’s refusal to go to Aston Villa.
They did make on sale though with Marcus Stewart signing for Sunderland as the North East club increased their attacking options with a double signing, Tore Andre Flo joining from Rangers at the same time as Stewart. The double deal cost £10 million with Ipswich set to get around £2 to £2.5 million.
That’s it as far as money is concerned and all other deals were either free transfers or loan deals with Portsmouth just about involved this week. A week ago they fielded loan player Gianluca Festa but have now completed his permanent move from Middlesbrough in the past week.
Brighton have strengthened their squad this week and have taken Gillingham central defender Guy Butters on a free transfer and Arsenal’s young Irish forward Graham Barrett on loan. Barrett has made a couple of Premiership appearances for the Gunners and has previous loan spells at Bristol Rovers, Crewe and Colchester.
Two goalkeepers have made loan moves. Former Blackpool keeper Steve Banks has joined Bradford City from Bolton whilst Grimsby have taken Shaun Allaway from Leeds. The 19 year-old cost Leeds £300,000 when they signed him from Reading over two years ago. Grimsby though have lost the services of forward Bradley Allen who has now signed for Second Division Peterborough United.
Marcus Hall joined Forest earlier this month having been released by Coventry but after just one appearance he is on his travels again and this week rejoined his former boss Gordon Strachan at Southampton. Another former Coventry player Marcus Edworthy has now signed a contract with Wolves having been playing for them for expenses.
Apart from that there are just a few departures. Crystal Palace’s American defender Gregg Berhalter has moved on and signed for German Bundesliga club Energie Cottbus and Walsall’s Dean Keates has signed for Hull City, scoring for them.
Just two loan deals to add with two players going to France. Derby County’s Francois Grenet has signed for Rennes and Ulrich le Pen of Ipswich has joined Strasbourg.
It remains to be seen whether there will be any transfer news to tell you about next week.