'Get Carter!' provided a headline or two in this neck of the woods today.
Well, someone has indeed got Carter – and he'll be at Deepdale on Saturday. Playing for Preston North End.
For as old Ferret wandered about tonight, there it was – on the Lancashire Evening Post website. As lifted, you suspect, from the official site. A big, Lilywhite welcome to Darren Carter…
And nothing undisclosed either – ?1.25 million. Or, at least, could be once every hoop is jumped through.
And all on a four-year deal, too. That will be the Dave Nugent money talking; that and a whole lot of desperation talking as Simpson tries to bolt a midfield together ahead of kick-off.
“He is a big physical unit, over six foot, a good athlete with a fantastic left foot,? the North End boss told his club website tonight.
“He is a goal-scoring midfielder, who can get up and down and I think he'll be a fantastic addition to the squad.”
As, apparently, did Magilton down the road at Ipswich.
As, you suspect, did the gaffer here – but not, you suspect, at the kind of money that the Baggies were looking for.
Straight swap deal with Safs, yeh… Initial loan deal with a view later on, yeh… But ?1.25 million and a four-year deal?
That's probably where the sticking point came; that and Carter looking round a growing Norwich squad and wondering just where he might have fitted in on a regular basis.
Brellier's in; Rusty's in; Smith probably will be in as and when he recovers from his knock. There's certainly room for a spare – Grant made it clear that once Sfas went, he'd be looking for another midfield body just to keep his numbers up.
But now the search is going to have to move elsewhere – and is likely to keep us all on our toes right the way through to August 31.
Apparently he goes straight into the squad for Saturday; our old friend Jason Jarrett is one of those on the transfer list.
And for those of you trekking north, Carter will be the one with the No11 shirt. A chance to have a quick peek and who and what just went AWOL.
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