McCarthy and Mido move on quiet deadline day
Reuters - Monday 01 February 2010, 20:48
LONDON - Premier League strugglers West Ham
United signed three strikers on a quiet final day of business
before the winter transfer window closed on Monday.
The east London club, battling to avoid relegation, acquired
South African striker Benni McCarthy, Egypt striker Mido and
Brazilian striker Ilan in a bid to boost their prospects of
staying up.
They were among the busiest clubs as a slow month of
business ended with KPMG's Football Transfer Window Monitor
report showing clubs spent just 41.5 million pounds in the month, little more than 20 per cent of the
estimated 190.5 million pounds spent a year ago.
The drop in spending was no surprise to financier Paul
Miller, the former Tottenham Hotspur defender who specialises in
football finances.
"The reason why it is the lowest amount spent in the modern
day transfer window is because all the banks have reduced the
clubs' overdrafts rather than extend them," Miller told Reuters.
"But whereas two or three years ago a Premier League club
could easily have 40 or 50 million pounds overdraft, now its
frowned upon. The banks won't allow it and the clubs don't have
the money to spend."
McCarthy, 32, joined relegation-threatened West Ham on a
permanent deal from Premier League rivals Blackburn Rovers, five
years after a planned move to the London club fell through,
while Mido signed a four-month deal.
Mido technically moved on loan from Middlesbrough, who hold
his permanent contract, although he has been playing for Zamalek
in Egypt on loan this season.
Brazilian Ilan, 29, joined the Hammers on loan until the end
of the season from St Etienne, with the option of a possible two
year deal after that.
MOSES MOVES
In other moves, Wigan Athletic signed Crystal Palace's
highly-promising 19-year-old Victor Moses for around 2.5 million
pounds and Bolivia striker Marcelo Moreno joined
the club on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Former England Under-21 winger, 22-year-old Adam Johnson
moved from Middlesbrough to Manchester City on a 4-1/2 year deal
for an undisclosed sum.
Stoke City also confirmed on their website they had signed Portsmouth's No.2
goalkeeper, Bosnian international Asmir Begovic, who had a run
in the Pompey side when England keeper David James was injured.
Those permanent deals were the only ones confirmed before
the 5pm GMT deadline with almost every other deal involving a
Premier League club being for a loan period.
"Apart from Manchester City and Real Madrid hardly any money
was spent last summer. Now January has followed - very little
money spent in Europe, very little spent here, and I think the
trend will continue next summer," Miller added.
BUSY SPURS
Harry Redknapp, the manager of Miller's former club
Tottenham, was however, busy as usual - but made no permanent
deals after signing Younes Kaboul from Portsmouth on Saturday.
Spurs' Scotland international defender Alan Hutton joined
Sunderland on loan and young defender Kyle Naughton moved to
Middlesbrough until the end of the season.
Ireland international Robbie Keane also left White Hart Lane
on loan and went to Celtic, a year after moving back to Spurs
from Liverpool.
Celtic earlier completed the loan signing of Fulham's
Senegal striker Diomansy Kamara until the end of the season.
Fulham signed England defender Nicky Shorey on loan from
Aston Villa, and have also completed a loan deal for 20-year-old
striker Stefano Okaka from AS Roma and the 100,000 pounds
signing of young Liverpool midfielder Christopher Buchtmann.