 [07
AUG 01] THE STUART LINNELL
COLUMN
New Sky Blues Trio At Highfield Road On Thursday
Striker Lee Hughes will be
announced as a Coventry City player on Thursday, together with
two other new players.
All three will be available for
the opening fixture at Stockport on Saturday, and two more new
faces could follow soon afterwards.
Hughes’ departure from West Bromwich
Albion was confirmed when the Sky Blues upped their bid of £5-million
by just £1, ensuring that they could talk to the free-scoring
Hawthorns’ favourite.
His contract with West Brom says
he can talk to any club offering more than £5-million for his
services. The deal will also give Albion a further £1-million
if City wins promotion back to the Premiership this season.
Middlesborough left-winger Keith
O’Neill has already agreed terms, and exciting young Moroccan
midfielder Youssef Safri will complete a triple-signing coup for
manager Gordon Strachan and Chairman Bryan Richardson.
Within the next fortnight, I
expect goalkeeper Magnus Hedman to leave the Sky Blues for
Merseyside, with both Liverpool and Everton said to be
interested in him, paving the way for 38 year old Andy Goram,
who spent the end of last season with Manchester United, to come
in as cover for Chris Kirkland.
Another major midfield signing is
also on the cards, as I understand that City have been
considering taking a man on loan from a Premiership club.
It all adds up to an exciting
filip for City fans, immediately prior to the start of the new
season and will go some way to ease the disappointment of John
Hartson’s departure to Celtic.
FACT FILE -
LEE HUGHES
BORN:
22 May 1976 - Smethwick, Birmingham
HEIGHT:
5ft 10in
WEIGHT:
11st 6lb
Transferred to West Brom from
Kidderminster Harriers in June 1997. West Brom's leading goal
scorer in 1999-2000 (16 goals), after netting 31 league goals
the previous season.
FACT FILE - KEITH
O'NEILL
BORN:
16 February 1972 - Dublin
HEIGHT:
6ft 1in
WEIGHT:
12st 4lb
Ireland international, started
with Norwich City before moving to Middlesbrough.
FACT FILE - YOUSSEF
SAFRI
BORN:
1 March 1977 - Morocco
HEIGHT:
1.77m
WEIGHT:
A Moroccan target of City's for
some months. Formerly of Raja Casablanca who played in the Fifa
Club World Championship with Manchester United in January 2000.
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