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Wed 27th June 2001 - Kavanagh and Prior |
| June Headlines |
Graham Kavanagh is due at Ninian Park for a medical next Monday. The player, currently on holiday, is on the verge of a £850 - £900,000 move to Ninian Park. Contracts between the clubs have been signed and Sam Hammam has met with Kavanagh's agent three times in the past 24 hours finalising personal details. The deal is thought to be worth around £5,000 a week to bring Kavanagh to Cardiff. Hammam is unhappy that the news was broken by Stoke City and would have preferred to have been able to announce the deal when it was completed. Sam did not want to build up the fans hope for them to be dashed. The same thiong happened with Paul McLaren who went to Sheff Weds on the last minute after having a medical at NP. Kavanagh, Sam says, "Is not only a leader, he is a super leader. He's one hell of a player, he has everything we need. The deal is expected to be completed after the medical on Monday.
Spencer Prior is also on the verge of joining City. A £650,000 deal has been agreed with the Sky Blues and Prior is trying to finalise his personal terms with Cardiff City. Sam told the Nationwide website "Spencer is absolutely committed to coming to us. We're in contact with him continuously. Both the parties want the move very badly. The deal is not dead, and could be concluded inside five minutes if Alan Cork, Prior and myself have their way." The official City website claims a major signing could be announced in the next few days. This is in addition to the Kavanagh signing. I think for sure now that it will be Spencer Prior. The Echo today suggest three more players to come in. I would say that Kavanagh and Prior are two of them. At least one more still to come. A striker maybe? Alan Cork wanted the strengthen the spine of the team. With Alexander, Prior and Kavanagh he will have done just that. Only a striker left to get. Report from www.nationwide.co.uk/football But the Bluebirds chief has slammed the Potters for releasing his club's interest in Republic of Ireland midfielder Kavanagh on their official internet site. "I like to keep my activity in the transfer market quiet until deals are done," stormed Hammam. "Once news gets out, other clubs are alerted and the whole thing can get like a Dutch auction. "If things are not concluded now due to technicalities, our fans will be bitterly disappointed. They'll feel deflated and I don't want that." But three meetings with the 27-year-old Republic of Ireland midfielder's agents in London in the last 24 hours means a deal is close with Cardiff poised to offer former Middlesbrough man Kavanagh a three-year deal worth £5,000-plus per week. "Things are progressing satisfactorily," confirmed Hammam. "Kavanagh is a hell of a player, I see him as a major signing. We've had three discussions with his representatives already." And Hammam admits his interest in ex-Leicester central defender Prior is not dead. "Spencer is absolutely committed to coming to us," he said. "We're in contact with him continuously. "Both the parties want the move very badly. The deal is not dead, and could be concluded inside five minutes if Alan Cork, Prior and myself have their way." City are believed to have offered Prior a basic salary of £250,000 per annum plus bonuses over three years, but the Maine Road defender is holding out for a further 12-month extension to his contract and a £1,000 weekly increase in his salary. "Prior is not being greedy and I'd love to get him," said Hammam. "It's just that I don't want to put him in an area of animosity against other players in our dressing room." |
Copyright Michael Morris 2001.
