Keane chase resumes as Birmingham pull plug on deal

THE prospects of Robbie Keane remaining in London appear to have increased with the collapse of his proposed move to Birmingham City.

Club acting chairman Peter Pannu met with manager Alex McLeish and chief scout Paul Montgomery yesterday and a decision was made not to progress with the acquisition of the out of favour Spurs man.

West Ham will now be favourites to land the Irish captain, although Fulham and Newcastle United amongst others are also said to be keeping a close eye on proceedings.

Sunderland too might enter the picture, now that Darren Bent wants to leave Wearside.

The Birmingham deal foundered on finances, according to Pannu.

“I met with Alex and Paul to discuss some new targets,” he said, “and we have decided that the signing of Keane would not be in the best financial interests of the club.

“Everyone knows he is a tremendous player but having considered the overall package (one which certainly wasn’t unfair on the part of his representatives to ask for given his talent and experience), Keane’s age and the length of contract, we felt that financially he wasn’t the best option available.

“This is unfortunate because Keane is a class act but supporters can rest assured we are considering other options and will pursue them where financially viable.”

According to reports, a transfer fee of around €4.4 million — plus half as much again in potential add-ons — had been under discussion, with the player also believed to be looking to match his current wages of close to €75,000 a week.

Now that the move is off, embattled West Ham are expected to be at the forefront of the chase to secure Keane’s signature, a move which could appeal to the Dubliner not just because it would keep him in London but because the prospect of Martin O’ Neill taking over from Avram Grant would be regarded as a significant boost to the club’s chances of avoiding the drop.

Grant has already talked up Ireland’s record-breaking striker, saying: “He is a player we would want to bring for sure.”

Fulham, where manager Mark Hughes is a big admirer, have also been linked with Keane while talk of a move to Newcastle would almost certainly hinge on Geordie frontman Andy Carroll travelling in the other direction.

However, the news that Best has handed in a transfer request at Sunderland — where Keane’s former Irish strike partner Niall Quinn is, of course, chairman — raises the interesting possibility that if the player is to head to the north-east it could yet be to theStadium of Light rather than St James’ Park.