Harte-break for Pompey as Kilbane quits Wearside

PORTSMOUTH’S bid to take Leeds left-back Ian Harte to Fratton Park has collapsed as a result of complicated Premier League rules regarding loan deals.

Pompey manager Harry Redknapp and his Leeds counterpart Peter Reid had agreed a season-long loan for the Republic of Ireland defender.

However, league rules state that clubs can only enter into two domestic loan deals the managers thought it was two from the Premier League plus others from the Nationwide.

With Portsmouth having already taken Russian Alexei Smertin on a temporary basis from Chelsea, the agreement they struck with West Brom striker Jason Roberts to join on loan today means the Harte deal has been ruled a non-starter.

"It's a blow because we were all set to bring Ian in and both clubs were extremely happy with the circumstances of the deal," chief executive Peter Storrie admitted.

"It was a simple misinterpretation by both Harry and Peter Reid of some fairly confusing rules.

"We are sorry to have lost out on Ian but there is nothing we can do."

There was better news for Harte's Republic team-mate Kevin Kilbane who became the 16th senior player to leave Sunderland this summer when he clinched a £1m move to Everton.

The 26-year-old Ireland international joined David Moyes' side after the Wearsiders accepted a bid just before the closure of the transfer window yesterday.

Kilbane arrived on Wearside in a £2.5m move from West Brom in December 1999, but has rarely reproduced the form which made him such a hit at international level under Mick McCarthy.

He landed himself in hot water with the club's fans last summer during a pre-season tour when he let his frustration get the better of him and made a gesture towards the crowd.

But despite the tough treatment that error of judgement earned him for a time, Kilbane, whose contract was due to expire next summer, never gave less than 100% for the cause, and there is little doubt that McCarthy would have been happy to keep him on board.

Indeed, he was in the starting 11 for Saturday's 4-0 win at Bradford and has started all but one of the new manager's 16 games in charge to date.

The move to Goodison Park will reunite him with Moyes, the man who sold him to the Baggies from his home-town club Preston.

Chelsea were the predictable headline makers on transfer deadline day as they swooped for Real Madrid midfielder Claude Makelele.