Mwaruwari's City transfer appears back on

Mwaruwari's City transfer appears back on

• 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’s dream £9,7 million move to Manchester City from Portsmouth could yet go through after the English Premier Soccer League indicated Friday morning that they were looking into the paperwork and talking to both clubs.

Mwaruwari’s transfer appeared stalled at the last minute before the transfer window closed at midnight Thursday, but as revealed by New Zimbabwe.com, the player had already signed a contract and the bulk of the paperwork required by the league had been sent through before the deadline.

Mwaruwari has been told by Portsmouth to remain at his Manchester hotel today as the two clubs seek to force through the deal.

He told New Zimbabwe.com Friday: “I am still here in Manchester, and I understand the two clubs are talking. I am keen to get this sorted as quickly as possible so that I can get back to playing football.”

Manchester City blamed the deal’s collapse on Mwaruwari’s late arrival for a medical. However, Mwaruwari insisted the medical had been completed and he had even signed a contract before City developed cold feet.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp suggested Manchester City had sought to pull out of the deal in the last few minutes leading to the transfer window deadline.

He told Sky Sports News: “Last night at 2355hrs, we got confirmation their forms had gone off and our chief executive faxed all relevant stuff to the FA and Premier League. As far as we were concerned, it was a done deal.”

Redknapp said the two clubs were in discussions with the Premier League and the FA at noon on Friday.

“I can’t really get to the bottom of the whole thing at the moment,” Redknapp said.

New Zimbabwe.com understands that seven pages of an eight page document required from City to complete the transfer had been faxed to the FA and Premier League before the transfer window shut.

Just before the eighth page – which relates to agents -- went through, our sources said, Manchester City officials appeared to have a change of heart and sought to recall their fax.

In the meantime, Portsmouth who were waiting to sign Jermain Defoe from Tottenham using the transfer money from the Mwaruwari deal, completed the signing of the striker believing all the paperwork had been sent through from the Manchester City side.

Redknapp has admitted failing to sell Benjani will leave Portsmouth out of pocket after signing Defoe for a reported £9 million fee.

He said: "If 'Benj' is back then we'll have to see where we go with that one.
"He's a good player and we didn't want to lose him. But we just needed to balance the books with him going and Defoe coming."

Mwaruwari, 29, has scored 12 league goals this season, including two hat-tricks. Only Manchester United’s Christiano Ronaldo and Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor have scored more goals.
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