Earnshaw latest

27 August 2004

Cardiff City and Wales striker Rob Earnshaw looks set to move to West Bromwich Albion, according to an article in Friday's South Wales Echo which says that talks between the parties involved have started.

"Discussions were continuing today as West Brom attempt to agree personal terms with Earnshaw, as well as a fee with Cardiff City. The Hawthorns side stepped up their interest this week after moves for continent-based strikers - including Anderlecht star Aruna Dindane - broke down."

No mention of a transfer fee has been made yet. Meanwhile, vague suggestions abound that Albion could be moving closer to signing Zoltan Gera's Hungary and Ferencvaros team mate Szabolcs Huszti. The attacking, goalscoring, left back cum midfielder has told his club he doesn't want to stay and has been the subject of a number of approaches.

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Albion and Cardiff agreed a fee of ?3.5 million for Earnshaw, though there may be further details agreed such as a player swap, most likely Sean Gregan. Earnshaw was spotted at the Club on Saturday morning to discuss personal terms. However, later news was that the transfer had "stalled" - according to BBC Wales, negotiations between the player and Gary Megson's agent had broken down on Saturday night. Quite why the player should be talking to Megson's agent was not clear.

Sunday's Mercury then added further details, such as Cardiff wanting three players from Albion (Sean Gregan, Rob Hulse, and Neil Clement), though not as part of the Earnshaw deal, and said that Albion still expected the transfer to go through by the deadline despite the reports of problems with negotiations - and that it would take an "unforseen circumstance" for it to fail.

Although the report also said that the signings of Dindane, Wiltord and Huszti all looked extremely unlikely, it now seems that one such unforseen circumstance may be the sudden availability of Dindane, who has apparently refused to train with Anderlecht because they won't let him leave; speculation is that his club are beginning feel that his mental state is not right and that they might be better to cut their losses and sell him before the deadline expires.

Unless they are looking to sign both Earnshaw and Dindane, Albion are left in a tricky position: do they sign Earnshwaw and lose out on the chance of getting Dindane, or delay the Earnshaw deal and risk losing him, as Everton are reported to be ready to make a bid for him to replace Rooney, and others may follow suit now that Cardiff seem prepared to sell him for a reasonable fee?

Interviewed this morning, Megson said simply that a fee for Earnshaw had been agreed and that talks with him would be taking place this morning. Watch this space!!

Previous Stories:

  25 August 2004:  Carling Cup draw

  19 August 2004:  Phone a friend !

  10 August 2004:  What's Gregan done wrong ?

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