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Grant leaves Wolves and Charlton to slug it out over Freddy. Not for me.

2nd July 2007 By Latest News Leave a Comment

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City boss Peter Grant has categorically ruled himself out of the race for Freddy Eastwood's signature – indeed, he's denied being in it in the the first place.

The Southend United striker remains Wolves' No1 target after watching Billy Sharp disappear back to his boyhood club, Sheffield United – to the frustration of at least three other Championship managers.

There were reports today that Charlton Athletic, too, may be thinking along similar Eastwood lines after watching Robert Earnshaw disappear to Derby County and Jamie Cureton head home to Norwich.

Where Eastwood will not be joining him. For all the talk by Shrimpers' owner Ron Martin of the Essex side rejecting a ?1.5 million offer for the Roots Hall favourite, Grant insists there was never an offer from Norfolk.

It could, of course, have simply been a case of Southend keeping Wolves on their toes – the latest ETA for Eastwood at Molineux is now the middle of the month. If at all, if Charlton bring some of their bigger, financial guns to bear.

“I've never, ever enquired about Freddy,” said Grant. “So I don't know about that story. I've never enquired about that one.

“The Sharp scenario everybody knows – he was down and we were very, very close to getting him. He was very impressed when he was here, but I think he'll end up going somewhere else.

“But then I've got somebody with a fantastic record as well and I'm delighted with Jamie Cureton.”

City's brief flirtation with Dutch Under-21 star Maceo Rigters tonight ended as quickly as it started with news that the 23-year-old has signed for Blackburn Rovers for “an undisclosed sum”.

All of which might find his agent, Tom Smit, with some explaining to do in Glasgow after telling this morning's Daily Record that Norwich and Celtic were the only shows in town and, of course, he'll be coming to Parkhead…

“There are no other clubs involved apart from Norwich but Celtic are way ahead,” Smit told the paper over the weekend. No-one else apart from Blackburn.

Given that this summer's transfer window still has another nine weeks or so to go, there are clearly all sorts of fun and games still to come.

Despite the hours everyone spends on the phone – all too often chasing lost causes – Grant remains a fan of the transfer window system. If only for the onus it then places on good coaching and astute management once the window slams tightly shut.

“I know a lot of managers are against it, but I don't think it's a bad idea – it makes you coach better,” said Grant. likely to have a few more grey hairs before September 1 arrives.

“Because if you're left with players and you can't bring anybody else in, then you've got to manage the players that you have got available. And I think we saw that last year with some of the young boys that I had to put in,” added the City boss, as the likes of Chris Martin, Kris Renton and Robert Eagle all found opportunity knocking.

“They were doing very well in the reserves, doing very well in the youth team – but would I have given them a chance if I'd been able to bring other people in? That would have been interesting to see.

“Because it's easy to go out and get someone in who is proven.”

That said, the transfer window still causes Grant all manner of frustration. Getting a straight answer out of anyone appears to be one of his big gripes.

His lengthy chase of David Marshall may now be coming close to the end with his elusive agent Willie Mackay suggesting that the Bhoys keeper could sign within the next 24 hours.

But given that Norwich were always happy to buy, Celtic were always happy to sell and the player himself always insisted that he only wanted to come to Norfolk, then there ought to have been a way of getting a deal done sooner rather than later.

Unless, of course, the fourth and final party involved – Mr Mackay – had other fish to fry; other agendas to follow.

“I'm all for the transfer window, but I'm also all for getting an answer straight away – that when you make a call, you get an answer straight away. It's all that hanging on that annoys me a little bit,” said Grant, quick to heap the praise on his club liason officer and his No2, Jim Duffy.

Back at Carrow Road and the manager also acknowledged the work of both chief executive Neil Doncaster and the club secretary Kevan Platt as one or two, long-standing targets started to appear on the horizon – 6ft 3in Czech striker David Strihavka among them.

“It's been a tough summer and there's been a lot of work gone in by a lot of people – especially Gunny (Bryan Gunn) and Jim Duffy.

“And Neil (Doncaster) and Kevan (Platt) have worked their socks off and been on the phone 24 hours a day for me. So, as I say, it's been a tough time for us, but hopefully it's going to come to fruition for us in the next few days.”


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