Jan 26

Eidur Gudjohnsen close to West Ham transfer

• Zola keen on bringing former team-mate back to England
• Tottenham have also shown interest in Monaco striker

Gianfranco Zola is close to finalising a deal to take his former strike partner Eidur Gudjohnsen to West Ham United. The manager, who played with Gudjohnsen at Chelsea, appears to have convinced the Icelander to swap Monaco for a return to London and the Premier League.

The move, which would not involve a transfer fee, represents a statement of intent from West Ham’s new owners, David Sullivan and David Gold. Sullivan said last week that he was prepared to pay Ruud van Nistelrooy £100,000 a week, only for the striker to leave Real Madrid for Hamburg, and Gudjohnsen also fits the superstar profile. He is believed to be earning £50,000 a week net at Monaco.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, has shown an interest in Gudjohnsen, as he considers life without Roman Pavlyuchenko, the misfit Russia striker. But Zola is hopeful that he has stolen a march on his cross-town rival.

Zola has Carlton Cole back to fitness but he remains short of options up front, with Zavon Hines a knee injury casualty and Guillermo Franco out with a short-term thigh problem. Zola has also moved for the Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy and he has submitted a formal offer for him. Blackburn have not been impressed at the South African for missing training sessions and they are ready to sell him for £2.5m.

Giovani dos Santos, the Tottenham winger, will join Galatasaray on loan for the remainder of the season, with the Turkish club holding the option to make the deal permanent in the summer.

West Ham UnitedMonacoTransfer windowDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk

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Oct 06

Danny Gabbidon to miss Wales’s World Cup qualifiers

• West Ham defender’s injury curse strikes again
• Wales to make decision over fitness of Joe Ledley

Wales have lost their defender Danny Gabbidon for their two World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Liechtenstein over the next week.

The West Ham player has pulled out with a calf injury that has stopped him training for the past fortnight. It is a bitter blow for Gabbidon, who has been easing himself back to top-level action this season after being dogged by injuries for two years.

Gabbidon made his Wales comeback against Montenegro in August, and also figured against Russia last month, but he is now out of the Finland game in Helsinki on Saturday and next Wednesday’s final qualifier in Liechtenstein.

Wales will also make a decision tomorrow over the fitness of Cardiff’s midfielder Joe Ledley, who is suffering from a pelvic injury and had a scan today to assess the problem. Ledley will now see a specialist tomorrow, with the likelihood that he will also miss the Group Four qualifiers.

The captain, Craig Bellamy, reported to the squad’s hotel this evening and is fit to travel, despite worries that he had picked up a knee problem while scoring for Manchester City in their 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Monday.

The Football Association of Wales has still not been able to confirm its proposed friendly with Scotland in Cardiff on 14 November, despite the FAW council agreeing to the match – to be played at Cardiff City’s new stadium – earlier today. It is understood that the Scottish FA is still completing the contract details and an announcement is expected tomorrow.

WalesWest Ham UnitedWorld Cup 2010guardian.co.uk

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