England's top-flight clubs have been granted a conditional extension to the transfer window deadline, the Premier League said in a statement on Monday.
Three hours before the 1700 GMT deadline the Premier League said that in view of extreme weather conditions disrupting travel, the board would grant extensions to clubs sending an email confirming "that a deal has been agreed in principle".
Heavy snowfall in Britain brought travel almost to a standstill and severe disruption to flights in and out of London, where Liverpool striker Robbie Keane had been expected to complete a transfer back to Tottenham Hotspur.
"Clubs have informed us of the difficulties they are having in getting deals concluded," Premier League general secretary Mike Foster told the body's website.
"We are currently trying to gauge the level of activity and how many deals are in the pipeline."
The statement said: "The Premier League has announced that it will grant applications from clubs to complete transactions after the 5.00pm deadline...
"The Board will take a decision on a case by case basis as to when the registration documents have to be submitted after taking into consideration weather conditions and ability to travel."
The statement was issued after the Premier League discussed the matter with the Football Association and world governing body FIFA.
Another potential last-minute deal was Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin's transfer from Zenit St Petersburg to Arsenal.
Sky Sports News showed pictures of Arshavin at a snow-bound hotel north of London after reporting he had flown in by private jet to avoid possible flight cancellations caused by the heaviest snow in southern England for almost 20 years.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=615410&sec=transfers&cc=3888
Monday, February 2, 2009
Nakamura under Verbeek’s microscope
TOKYO: Australia coach Pim Verbeek said he was keeping a close eye on Japan and Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura ahead of the Socceroos' crunch 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Blue Samurai, a daily said Sunday.
"I am using DVDs to study Nakamura," Verbeek was quoted as saying in an interview with Japan's Sports Nippon ahead of the qualifier in Yokohama on February 11.
"Japan have many good players. But we consider Nakamura as the most dangerous of them," the Dutchman added in an interview that was published in a Japanese translation.
Verbeek said he had also obtained information on the left-footed midfielder from "a player who knows him very well," -- a reference, the paper said, to Celtic's Australian striker Scott McDonald.
Australia are unbeaten after three qualifiers and lead Japan by two points in Group A.
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has called up Nakamura and four other Europe-based players for the Australia game, following a humiliating 1-0 away defeat to lower-ranked Bahrain in a qualifier for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 on Wednesday.
Japan did not call up key overseas-based players for the match and the loss has put Okada under pressure again.
Verbeek said he regretted that Europe-based players, who make up the majority of his squad, could not join the team until a day or two before the match because of their club commitments.
"I must check their condition first. Their training will be light," he said. "I will be happy if we can come home with victory."
Australia beat Japan 3-1 at the group stage in the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. But the Blue Samurai avenged the loss when they beat the Socceroos on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 quarter-finals in Hanoi.
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168525984.html
"I am using DVDs to study Nakamura," Verbeek was quoted as saying in an interview with Japan's Sports Nippon ahead of the qualifier in Yokohama on February 11.
"Japan have many good players. But we consider Nakamura as the most dangerous of them," the Dutchman added in an interview that was published in a Japanese translation.
Verbeek said he had also obtained information on the left-footed midfielder from "a player who knows him very well," -- a reference, the paper said, to Celtic's Australian striker Scott McDonald.
Australia are unbeaten after three qualifiers and lead Japan by two points in Group A.
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has called up Nakamura and four other Europe-based players for the Australia game, following a humiliating 1-0 away defeat to lower-ranked Bahrain in a qualifier for the AFC Asian Cup 2011 on Wednesday.
Japan did not call up key overseas-based players for the match and the loss has put Okada under pressure again.
Verbeek said he regretted that Europe-based players, who make up the majority of his squad, could not join the team until a day or two before the match because of their club commitments.
"I must check their condition first. Their training will be light," he said. "I will be happy if we can come home with victory."
Australia beat Japan 3-1 at the group stage in the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. But the Blue Samurai avenged the loss when they beat the Socceroos on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 quarter-finals in Hanoi.
http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168525984.html
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