Football Transfer Rumours - Jan-27-2009

Celtic are lining up a swoop for £1.5m-rated Hamilton Accies midfielder James McArthur

Crystal Palace want Dagenham midfielder Solomon Taiwo but face competition from QPR and Reading

Huddersfield will make an improved £750,0o0 offer for Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert

Charlton are close to signing Hull defender Wayne Brown on loan for the rest of the season

Crewe are competing with Yeovil and Bournemouth for Weymouth striker Stuart Beavon

Reading midfielder James Harper is poised to join Middlesbrough in a £5m transfer this week

Bolton are hoping to beat off competition to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Migueo Veloso but would need to make a club record bid of between £12-13m

Fulham and Everton are keen on Spartak Moscow's Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa

Fulham are ready to test Leeds' resolve to hang on to their £6m-rated teenager Fabian Delph

Celtic will tell the Magpies they will only accept cash for their captain Stephen McManus

Newcastle are also interested in Rennes right-back Rod Fanni, as are Aston Villa and a number of other Premier League clubs

Newcastle are closing in on Toulouse right-back Albin Ebondo

Manchester City are set to sign Newcastle's Shay Given after making an improved offer of £10m for the goalkeeper

Blackburn are interested in Valencia's 6ft 8in striker Nikola Zigic, who is currently on loan at Racing Santander

Wigan have been told by Cardiff it will cost them £6m if they want to sign midfielder Joe Ledley

Juventus want Chelsea winger Florent Malouda, while goalkeeper Marco Storari could move in the opposite direction

Pompey boss Tony Adams is also hoping to sign AC Milan's Brazilian midfielder Emerson

Portsmouth are set to sign Real Madrid striker Javier Saviola on loan

Sunderland are in talks to sign West Ham defender Calum Davenport

Spurs have turned their attention to Lyon's Brazilian striker Fred after Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones rejected a move to White Hart Lane

Chelsea's out-of-favour centre-back Branislav Ivanovic is being targeted by Greek side Panathinaikos

City are also determined to capture Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure

Manchester City believe that a £19m bid may finally be enough to secure the signature of Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz