Odds and Sods

The transfer deal sending striker Benjani Mwaruwari from Portsmouth to Manchester City has been finalized, a mere five days after the closing of the transfer window (lightning quick by FA standards).   The Guardian reports that the deal is worth an initial 3.87m GBP, with a further payment raising the fee to 7.6m GBP to follow if Benjani makes 75 starts for City.

Benjani’s move had been in limbo after  complications with paperwork rushed through at the last minute.  Manchester City reportedly got cold feet after being unable to properly assess his physical condition, after he missed two flights to Manchester and arrived at 11:10 PM, 50 minutes prior to the deadline.  They did, however, give the impression that the deal was finalized, inciting Harry Redknapp to acquire Jermaine Defoe from Tottenham.

The deal should be an interesting one for Manchester City.  Benjani has been on a torrid form of late with 12 goals in the Premier League.  However, six of the goals came in two games.  He also managed only six all of last season, which suggests that he may be hit hard by the law of averages over the second half of the season.

That said, he comes at a cheap price, 3.87m GBP, and he is still better than the putrid platter of strikers they traditionally turn out (See: Darius Vassell).  He doesn’t have the cache of a Michael Owen, an Adriano or a Djibril Cisse, but he may turn out to be decent, which should be good enough.

The danger for City, however, is that they were swindled by Happy Harry attempting to sell off Benjani after his value had skyrocketed.  If Defoe can perform the way he has been speculated to in the past, it could give Pompey the advantage in the battle for European places.