Benfica and PSG pursue Djemba-Djemba
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Your support makes all the difference.Benfica are attempting to sign Eric Djemba-Djemba from Manchester United. The Portuguese club face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, although both are unlikely to succeed as United are looking for a straight cash deal rather than the 23-year-old midfielder initially going out on loan with a permanent transfer to follow.
Benfica are attempting to sign Eric Djemba-Djemba from Manchester United. The Portuguese club face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, although both are unlikely to succeed as United are looking for a straight cash deal rather than the 23-year-old midfielder initially going out on loan with a permanent transfer to follow.
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed his willingness to sell Djemba-Djemba, who has failed to impress since his £3.5m move from Nantes in 2003. However Ferguson is prepared to wait until the summer, when he would accept around half the fee he paid.
Last night Djemba-Djemba's agent, Christophe Mongai, confirmed talks had taken place with Benfica and that PSG had also been in contact. "They want the player for a loan for six months to begin with," he said. "But he wants to stay at Manchester United because he believes there is the possibility of playing." Nevertheless Benfica - who had initially inquired about Kleberson - remain hopeful.
The Portsmouth chairman, Milan Mandaric, said yesterday that he was refusing to sell the striker Ricardo Fuller to "our friendly neighbours" Southampton. Two days before the clubs meet in the FA Cup, Mandaric remains angry with the Southampton chairman, Rupert Lowe, over the manager Harry Redknapp's departure and suggestions by Lowe that the £2.1m sale of Nigel Quashie to Southampton was motivated by Mandaric's desire to recoup some of his investment.
Yesterday Mandaric said that the proposed £1m sale of Fuller was dead. "He is staying, for sure," he said. Portsmouth hope to announce the signing of Dmitri Bulkyin from Dinamo Moscow today. The clubs were yesterday trying to finalise the fee - expected to be £750,000 - for the striker, who has agreed personal terms on a three-and-a-half year contract.
Portsmouth are also close to signing the midfielder Kostas Katsouranis for £2m from AEK Athens, the defender Yorgos Alexopoulos from Egaleo for £150,000 and the goalkeeper Konstantinos Chalkias for £100,000 from Panathinaikos. David Unsworth has joined Ipswich Town on loan.
Tottenham Hotspur signed two forwards yesterday. The Egyptian Mido will arrive from Roma on an 18-month loan deal while the Moroccan Mounir El Hamdaoui, from Excelsior Rotterdam, has agreed a three-and-a-half year contract. The Czech goalkeeper Radek Cerny is also due in on an 18-month loan from Slavia Prague.
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