Latest Transfer Update at 10-01-2012

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Robbie Keane: Poised to join Villa

VILLA OPTIMISTIC OVER KEANE LOAN

Aston Villa remain optimistic Los Angeles Galaxy striker Robbie Keane will join them on loan although the deal is unlikely to be completed on Tuesday, it is understood.
The Republic of Ireland international is poised to join Villa for two months and is already training with the midlands club.
But the eight-hour time difference between Birmingham and Los Angeles means any announcement will probably happen on Wednesday after the expected completion of the paperwork.
Villa boss Alex McLeish would like Keane to be available for Saturday's home Barclays Premier League clash with Everton.
Sources close to the club are confident a temporary deal for Keane will still go through.
Keane has indicated he wants to join Villa and is conscious of retaining his match sharpness before rejoining Galaxy in March with the Euro 2012 finals in June.
Villa midfielder Barry Bannan would welcome Keane's arrival.
He said: "If you are getting players like that, it is good for the club.
"Our squad is pretty young and having another wise head alongside the likes of Richard Dunne is only going to help us as a group.
"Robbie has been around for ages and has played at the top level."
Keane's expected arrival is well timed with fellow striker Emile Heskey sidelined for up to a month with an Achilles injury.

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Loic Remy: On Harry Redknapp's radar

REDKNAPP CONFIRMS REMY INTEREST

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed his interest in £20million-rated Marseille star Loic Remy.
Remy has long been on Redknapp's radar after he watched the France international during the striker's days at former club Nice, who he left in 2010 to move to the Stade Velodrome.
Spurs have been linked with a swap bid for the 25-year-old which would involve Roman Pavlyuchenko moving to France, although Remy's agent does not believe that is feasible.
Redknapp, though, is continuing to monitor the Marseille man during January along with the likes of Newcastle striker Demba Ba and his reported interest in Blackburn pair Chris Samba and Junior Hoilett.
Asked about Remy ahead of Wednesday's Premier League match against Everton, the Spurs boss said: "He is a good player.
"We could have had him a couple of years ago, to be honest with you.
"He has pushed on. He was a player we looked at and I watched him a couple of times at that stage, but he went to Marseille.
"There is interest there. But that is as far (as it goes). At the moment, there is nothing more than that."
The Tottenham boss has made it clear he wants to have four competing strikers in his squad and it is thought he would be keen to offload Pavlyuchenko in order to sign a replacement.
Remy is among the contenders, but so is Newcastle striker Ba, who scored 15 goals prior to departing for the African Cup of Nations earlier in January.
Redknapp last week increased speculation about the Senegal international after claiming there is a buyout clause, reported to be £7million, within the striker's contract.
And the Tottenham boss has again indicated he is paying attention to Ba, adding: "I keep hearing conflicting stories about the buyout clause.
"One person says one thing and (then) somebody comes on and says he can be bought out for X amount.
"I think the only people that probably know are Newcastle and Demba Ba."
Redknapp, maenwhile, was in no doubt Thierry Henry would write another chapter in his Arsenal legend on Monday night, but hopes the Gunners talisman does not spark an end-of-season surge at Emirates Stadium.
The 34-year-old rejoined the club he left for Barcelona in 2007 on a short-term loan deal from the New York Red Bulls - and enjoyed a dream second debut when he came off the bench to score as Arsenal beat Leeds 1-0 to book a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Henry will be available for a six-week spell which will take in matches against Manchester United and, in the Champions League, AC Milan - as well as possibly even the showdown with arch-rivals Spurs at Emirates Stadium on February 26.
Third-placed Tottenham could put further distance between themselves and Arsenal with victory over Everton on Wednesday night.
Redknapp, though, is wary of the lift Henry's return could give their north London neighbours.
"I watched the game and knew Henry would score, it was written, some are meant to happen. It was just amazing," the Spurs boss said.
"I hope he doesn't make too big an impact because we want to finish above Arsenal this season, which is not going to be easy, but I am sure he will have some impact on the football club.
"Having people like that around the place is worth their weight in gold. They make a difference when they walk into the club.
"They are good professionals with good habits, the young players can learn more from watching them every day than they can from being coached by anybody."
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed the club could push for a two-week extension to Henry's loan deal ahead of the new Major League Soccer season, which would see him available to face Spurs.
Redknapp joked he already had a plan in place to cope with Henry.
"We might combat him with either [Glenn] Hoddle or [Ossie] Ardiles, so we will be ready for him. Graham Roberts or Paul Miller are going to come out of retirement to kick him," Redknapp quipped.
Henry's return to action followed the shock decision by veteran midfielder Paul Scholes to come out of retirement and play for Manchester United in their FA Cup win at Manchester City.
Tottenham were unable to sort a deal to bring in former England captain David Beckham from Los Angeles Galaxy last season, after he had a spell training at their Essex base.
Redknapp believes the next generation can learn a lot from such model professionals.
"Manchester United have turned to Paul Scholes, Arsenal have turned to Thierry Henry. It's a bit scary when you look around and see they are still better than some of the younger players," the Tottenham manager said.
"Scholes comes out of retirement at 37, him and Ryan Giggs play in the midfield together at Manchester City, and can still be better than anybody else at Manchester United. It is amazing.
"There are still a lot of old ones about who can make the difference and people have to understand experience is something you cannot give to people."

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Kris Boyd: Currently a free agent

MLS MOVE ON THE CARDS FOR BOYD

Kris Boyd is considering an offer from Houston Dynamo, while three English clubs are also interested.
MLS Cup finalists Dynamo are said to have made an approach for the 28-year-old, who is a free agent after leaving Eskisehirspor in December over a pay dispute just five months into his career in Turkey.
But three anonymous English sides also want to sign former Kilmarnock, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest player Boyd.
Reports have at the same time continued to link the Scot with a return to Rangers, especially with Ally McCoist potentially looking for a long-term replacement for Nikica Jelavic.
Boyd left Ibrox one-and-a-half years ago in order to join Middlesbrough, but his career has dipped since moving away from Scotland.