Rowan Retreats

Striker Rowan Vine has been allowed to leave to join Luton Town on a three-year-deal after being deemed surplus to requirements at Fratton. He played nearly fifty matches on loan at The Hatters last season following on from other successful loan spells at Colchester and Brentford, although it was never clear whether or not he really fitted into the first team picture down here. After all, despite forever being touted as "the next young thing" he's actually older than Yakubu!

Still he did turn out in the royal blue thirteen times, and I'll always remember him for one of two reasons;

1) A shocking miss from six yards out at St Andrews in 2002 that a five-year-old girl could've put away
2) Scoring a scuffed winner against Leicester in pre-season in the only time I've ever seen us beat that bloody bogey team of ours

Meanwhile Yakubu has finally parted company with ourselves as he was awarded a work permit on appeal. David Unsworth is believed to be in talks with a Championship side, whilst West Ham are interested in signing Ricardo Fuller. A bit of a step down from their attempts to sign Figo, admittedly, but I'm sure they're both equally talented. Linvoy is still being mentioned as a possible leaver in a swap deal for Damien Francis in a deal which seems set to rumble on almost as long as the Smertin saga, a player who got another three paragraphs dedicated to a possible move in... you guessed it... "The News".

The trail on Carlton Cole seems to have gone quiet after an original Monday deadline for a decision has passed, whilst Pompey are still pondering over a second offer for Julio Arca after their original move was turned down by Sunderland.

Oh, and John "I want £30,000 a week" Aloisi failed his medical at Panathinaikos. Hah!