Saturday, 10 January 2009
Spurs Agree Terms With Midfield Enforcer?
Ghanaian International Stephen Appiah is on the verge of joining Tottenham Hotspur after passing a medical at the Premier League club and agreeing personal terms at White Hart Lane, according to reports.
28-year-old Appiah had been training with the Premiership club, with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp keen to land the free agent if the former Juventus player impressed, while training with the Spurs first team.
Appiah became a free agent in the summer when his contract, was terminated by Turkish side, Fenerbahce. Redknapp had been linked with a move for the combative midfielder while in charge at Portsmouth, with Celtic, Schalke, West Ham United, Arsenal and former team Juve all reportedly interested in the Ghanaian.
One consideration for the North London club had been that Appiah is still coming back from a serious knee injury, but with it believed that the former Juve enforcer has passed a medical and agreed terms it remains to be seen if Redknapp is ready to throw Appiah straight into the team that faces Wigan Athletic on Sunday.
Although the acquisition of Appiah might be seen as a gamble by some, there can be no doubt that when fully fit the Ghanaian is a dominant midfielder, with the lack of a transfer fee reducing the risk for Tottenham. The length of the deal on offer is not known, but could be a short-term deal until the season.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Appiah To Train With Spurs In Bid To Earn Contract
Ghanaian International Stephen Appiah is training with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp keen to land the free agent if the former Juventus player impresses at the Premiership club.
28-year-old Appiah became a free agent in the summer when his contract, was terminated by Turkish side, Fenerbahce. Redknapp had been linked with a move for the combative midfielder while in charge at Portsmouth, with Celtic, Schalke, West Ham United, Arsenal and former team Juve all reportedly interested in the Ghana captain.
However, Appiah remained a free agent and is now understood to be training with the rest of the Tottenham squad at White Hart Lane.
Although Redknapp has made Stewart Downing of Middlesbrough and Jermain Defoe Spurs’ main targets this month. Tottenham are thin on the ground for defensive midfielders and the lack of any transfer fee could see the former Pompey boss take a chance on Appiah.
One other consideration is the fact that Appiah is still coming back from a serious knee injury, with it understood that if the Ghanaian proves his fitness and comes through the training with no ill effects to his knee. Then Appiah is in line to earn a contract at the Premiership club until the end of the season at least.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Arsenal: Adebayor A Doubt, But Walcott To Be Ready To Face Man United
England International Theo Walcott (below) will miss Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Fenerbahce on Wednesday, but Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is optimistic that the winger will be recover from a shoulder injury suffered against Stoke City on Saturday in time to face Premier League Champions Manchester United on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.
Striker Emmanuel Adebayor will also miss the Champions League tie with the Turkish side, but unlike Walcott the Togolese International is a major doubt for the crunch game with United after limping off in the defeat to the Potters at the Britannia Stadium last Saturday, with an ankle problem.
Wenger feared at first that former Southampton player Walcott had dislocated his shoulder, which has had an operation in the past to cure a hereditary condition that had weakened ligaments in Walcott’s arm. However, it appears that the 19-year-old suffered nothing more than a spasm in the shoulder and that the previous surgery actually prevented a more serious injury.
The North London club will now assess Walcott on a daily basis before deciding whether to play him against the Red Devils in a must win Premiership game for Arsenal, with Walcott expected to be fit in time to face United.
Meanwhile, another Arsenal player to pick up a knock against Stoke, defender Bacary Sagna is expected to be fit in time for both the game against Fenerbahce and the weekend crunch match against Man United.
