Benjani move still in the balance

Sven Goran Eriksson and Harry Redknapp remain hopeful Portsmouth striker Benjani will complete his move to Manchester City.

The Zimbabwe international was expected to sign for City yesterday, but the transfer window shut before the deal was concluded.

However, the Premier League have confirmed they are analysing the paperwork for the deal with a view to possibly allowing the transfer to go ahead.

Despite a hectic transfer deadline day City boss Eriksson still wants the former Auxerre striker in his squad.

"I don't know what's happening. I hope it could still go through," he said on Sky Sports News. "I would like to have him in the squad. It was a little bit crazy I'd say. It was a long day and a long night.

"I went to London to get a work permit for Benjani and Felipe Caicedo and that was positive. Then I came back to Manchester. I was supposed to see Benjani.

"I was told he was due to arrive at 9pm, but he did not arrive until 11:15pm.  I've not spoken to (chief executive) Alistair Macintosh so I don't know what's happening."

Pompey boss Redknapp said his club had been contacted by City just before midnight. He told a news conference yesterday: "We got the call from them at 11.55pm that their forms had gone through and that's when Peter Storrie gave the go-ahead for our forms (to register Defoe) to go through.

"Once their forms were sent, we had to get ours off very quickly. I thought we were struggling for time.

"Their one had dragged on a bit because Benji had a bit of a delay getting there with one thing and another. As far as we knew, they sent their forms so I don't see why there should be a problem.

"If Benji is back we'll just have to see where we go with that one. He's a good player and we didn't want to lose him but we had to try to balance the books."