1 July 2009
Lagos — Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu is set to extend his stay at the club by another year, as he looks to rubber stamp an agreement on a contract extension triggered by the number of appearances he made for the club last season.
The Nigerian international forward was a subject of speculation at the close of the season after he failed to tie down first team appearances at the England south coast club following the arrival of Peter Crouch from Liverpool and the top form of Jamie Defoe, who later switched over to Tottenham.
The sudden departure of Harry Rednapp who brought Defoe to the club from Tottenham Hotspurs during the last winter transfer break did not do Kanu's cause a justice.
Notwithstanding, the former Arsenal star made a handful of appearances toward the end of the season enough to earn him another season at Pompey.
But the beanpole's legal representative, Samuel Okoronkwo, confirmed to The Portsmouth News yesterday that Kanu was deep in negotiations with the club's chief executive Peter Storrie about the one-year extension.
"I fully expect Kanu to be playing at Portsmouth next season," Okoronkwo said.
"I can confirm that we are currently in negotiations with Peter Storrie and are making good progress. I am hoping at the close of play he will be here. There was interest from elsewhere, although I am not at liberty to name them.
"But Portsmouth holds his interest and he is willing to show his loyalty to the club and stay longer. This is where he wants to be. He has given so much to Portsmouth.
"He has played a big part in the club's progress and, of course, the FA Cup success. A lot of the young players also look to him for advice - which he enjoys - so if it's not broke why bother fixing it.
"He has developed an attachment and would love to stay here. He has made a connection with the fans, too. The negotiations are progressing very comfortably.
"There are not any differences and, hopefully, it can be completed sufficiently without inconveniencing anyone."
Meanwhile, Sean Davis, whose contract at Portsmouth is also set to expire, will be unveiled as a Bolton Wanderers player in the next 48 hours, The News reports, after turning down an offer of a three-year contract.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
