Benjani's move to Manchester City falls through

Benjani's move to Manchester City falls through

• Benjani to seal £9,7 million move to Manchester City

• Benjani fires ZIFA warning over coach

• Portsmouth open contract talks with Benjani

• Juventus set for £7 million Benjani raid

• Mwaruwari nets 8th league goal in Pompey romp

• Mwaruwari tops premiership scorers' charts

• Mwaruwari scores in Manchester United draw

• Mwaruwari fires Pompey into Asia Trophy final

• Mwaruwari sets Pompey target

By Sports Reporter

BENJANI Mwaruwari remains a Portsmouth player today after a dream £9,7 million move to Manchester City fell through at the 11th hour.

Manchester blamed the Zimbabwean striker's late arrival in Manchester for the deal's collapse.

City spokesman Paul Tyrrell said: "Due to the late arrival of the player in Manchester we were unable to complete the transfer."

Mwaruwari arrived at the Manchester City training ground at 2316hrs, just under an hour before the transfer window closed.

At 1205hrs on Friday, minutes after the transfer deadline closed, Mwaruwari told New Zimbabwe.com: "I did a medical for some 40 minutes and the doctor said everything was okay. Then I signed a contract.

"Moments later, one of the men who was involved in making the deal went outside and seemed to raise his voice with someone and he returned and said he was pulling the plug on the deal.

"I told them I was leaving. I am now back at the hotel and will wait until the morning to hear what's going on.

"The issue now is that they had already sent the papers of the deal to the Premier League and now it looks like they want to withdraw those papers. I really don't know."

Mwaruwari had earlier agreed personal terms with Manchester City and was expected to sign a three-and-half-year deal worth about £11 million (or £65 000-a-week).

Portsmouth concluded the signing of Jemain Defoe from Tottenham although at some stage it appeared they wanted to finance the deal from the money paid by City for Benjani.
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