Dead certs
Fulham have signed Chris Baird from Southampton for £3.025 million. The Northern Ireland defender has agreed a four-year deal. Baird, 25, appeared to be heading to Sunderland after they had agreed a £3 million fee.
Hertha Berlin claim to have accepted an offer from Tottenham Hotspur for Kevin-Prince Boateng, the midfield player. The German club also claim Boateng interested Seville. He has played for Germany at youth levels, gaining a reputation as a hard man, and was named the best young player in Germany last year. Dieter Hoeness, the Hertha general manager, said: “The offer from Seville never interested us. We have accepted the offer from England, and now the club and the player must reach an agreement.” Tottenham will create room for Boateng by making Teemu Tainio, Hossam Ghaly, Wayne Routledge and Danny Murphy available for transfer.
Southampton have signed Adam Hammill, the Liverpool winger, on loan for season.
Decent bets
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Aldo Duscher is on trial at Newcastle United. The midfield player is out of contract at Deportivo la Coruña. Nicknamed “the butcher” by fans in Spain, he achieved notoriety for fracturing David Beckham’s metatarsal before the 2002 World Cup finals during a Champions League match between Deportivo and Manchester United.
Robbie Fowler is in talks with Sydney FC after being released by Liverpool. Sydney won the inaugural Australian A-League last year.
Sheffield United are in talks with Celtic in an attempt to sign Thomas Gravesen, the midfield player. The Dane moved from Real Madrid for £2 million last summer. Kevin McCabe, Blades plc chairman, said: “It’s a question of can we conclude terms and does the player want to come to us?”
Wayne Brown, the Colchester United defender, has asked to leave the club.
Long shots
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Ipswich Town have turned down an offer from Hull City for Alan Lee. The striker scored 16 league goals last season.