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Deal there to be done. We just have to go through several rounds of posturing before pen meets paper.

11th June 2007 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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Dead and buried? Or just one minor bump in the road?

That was probably today's big question question transfer-wise as the David Marshall saga rumbled on – or rather the 22-year-old's agent, Willie MacKay, ensured that the saga rumbled on.

Widely quoted over the weekend as claiming that City's long-time keeper target could yet be staying firmly put at Parkhead this summer – and all with a new Bhoys deal to boot – the Monaco-based agent was out and about again this morning, quoted in The Scotsman and saying much the same, albeit with the added twist that he wouldn't be going to Hibernian either where boss John Collins is in sore need of a new keeper.

“I can't see him going there because he would break Hibs' wage structure,” MacKay told the paper before just re-capping as to where – in his eyes – we all were.

“Norwich made an offer to Celtic but they rejected that and that was the end of the matter,” said Joey Barton's Mr Ten Per Cent.

“I can't see him going anywhere this summer unless a club comes in with a decent offer and can match his wages.”

All of which doesn't quite tally with Marshall's own comments to the Daily Record last week where the one-time Celtic youngster – having already slapped in a transfer request this summer – made it quite clear that he didn't fancy playing second fiddle to Polish international Artur Boruc for another season.

He might even have to play third fiddle to Mark Brown – the keeper that Bhoys boss Gordon Strachan signed the moment that Marshall's back was turned last January as he headed south for his injury-hit loan spell in Norfolk.

Quite what appeal a new deal at Parkhead would hold for Marshall is anyone's guess – that only looks a runner if all concerned know that Boruc is on his way.

Without that, Grant's No1 keeper target will be in exactly the same boat he tried to jump out of only last week.

As for the whole Hibernian link, MacKay may well be using the Edinburgh club as something of a stalking horse in a bid to get the Canaries back round the table again after their initial ?500,000 bid for Marshall was dismissed by Celtic.

Yes, Hibs offers regular Scottish Premier League football but given the level of poison that has seeped out of the Easter Road dressing room this season – culminating in a players revolt and a delegation to the chairman as soon as Collins headed off to France on a scouting mission – many might think long and hard about making the switch.

Ousted keeper Simon Brown – fingered as one of the ring-leaders – was back stirring the pot again this week with accusations of arrogance being levelled at the one-time Fulham and Monaco star.

Brown, be warned, probably has a large axe to grind after being very publically dropped by Collins after two horrific errors in a 2-0 home defeat by Rangers.

The manager had already kicked hapless Polish keeper Zibi Malkowski into the long grass on loan at Gretna after he gave Edinburgh rivals Hearts victory in a derby clash at Tynecastle. In came Andrew McNeil in goal – only to pick up the hip injury that allowed Brown back in.

He desperately needs a new keeper, in short.

And money, for once, is probably the least of Collins' concerns having seen Kevin Thomson move to Rangers for ?2 million and waved good-bye to Scott Brown for ?4.5 million.

Whether Marshall would wish to be dropped into the middle of all that is a moot point; the player has long given every indication that he is all for a quiet life in Norfolk having now recovered from ankle ligament injury that cut his loan spell at Carrow Road so short.

Indeed, the most telling quote of the week came in that interview in the Daily Record last week when Marshall revealed that he had spoken to Strachan about his situation.

“I've spoken to the gaffer about it and he's been fine. He understands my situation,” Marshall told the Record. “I need to play every week and don't want another year on the sidelines.”

If Strachan does, indeed, understand his situation he will, you strongly suspect, not be looking to keep the lad mooching around Parkhead for another season with no more than a Saturday afternoon on the bench to look forward to.

Far better to prise a few more pennies out of Norwich, get him off his wage bill and the money banked than to hold Marshall in Glasgow almost against his will.

MacKay makes all the right noises about him going nowhere unless the money is right (ie more) and slips Hibs' name into conversation to concentrate a few more minds and in every likelihood a deal remains there to be done – particularly now that City boss Peter Grant is back from his recent summer break and will be anxious to crack on transfer-wise.

Which should equally mean that the whole Billy Sharp tale should reach a conclusion one way or another this week as Wolves, West Bromwich Albion and the Canaries slug it out for the 21-year-old striker after lodging various ?2 million bids for the young man with Scunthorpe United.

The Evening News today raised the prospect of released Rangers midfielder Gavin Rae joining Grant's Tartan Army – Rae was one of Jim Duffy's former charges and after an Ibrox career blighted by injury, the City No2 may yet be able to help offer Rae a fresh start south of the border.


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