Deadline Day: Five late transfers that HAVE to happen

31Jan 2013

Betfair

With the clock ticking towards the deadline, Christian Crowther picks out five critical deals which he feels must happen before 23:00 on Thursday...

Chris Samba to QPR

No disrespect to the departing Ryan Nelsen, or indeed QPR's other veteran centre back Clint Hill, but if the R's are to stay in the Premier League then they need to bring down the combined age of 69 in the heart of their defence. There is no substitute for experience, though this is taking it a little far. Now Anton Ferdinand has followed Nelsen out of the Loftus Road exit door, the need for a quality centre back is paramount if they are to escape the drop - you can lay the Hoops' survival chances at 1.82. Aged 28, Samba is in his prime and the towering defender has already proven his pedigree in the Premier League with Blackburn. It's a no-brainer for the London club.

Leandro Damiao to Tottenham

Tottenham are no strangers to using up every last second of the transfer window, as the last-gasp arrivals of Rafael van der Vaart and Clint Dempsey testify. Now the masters of the last-day deal really need to pull out the stops once more to land Brazilian striker Leandro Damiao. Andre Villas-Boas has made no secret of his admiration for the Internacional centre forward, and if Tottenham are to hang on to one of the Champions League spots - available to back at 2.14 - then adding another striker to their books is a real must. With Emmanuel Adebayor away on African Cup of Nations duty, that only leaves out-of-form Jermain Defoe as an outright striker. This is unsustainable going forward.

Gary Hooper to Norwich

Celtic's hitman has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs after some eye-catching displays in both the SPL and Champions League this season. A tally of 22 goals from just 32 appearances tells you exactly what Norwich would be getting and, make no bones about it, the Canaries need a top striker. It's no surprise that Norwich's dismal run of five losses from their last six league games has coincided with a return of just five goals. Not one player has scored more than four league goals and, in light of club leading scorer Grant Holt's ineffective season and with newcomer Kei Kamara somewhat of a gamble, another striker is essential. Delia Smith must add this ingredient to any recipe for survival. Norwich are currently rated at around 7.4 to finish in the bottom three.

Urby Emanuelson to Fulham

The loan deal for this versatile winger, who can play at left back, looks to be almost done but Fulham must hope that there are no last-minute snags. The west Londoners have been going in reverse for several months and, if they are to halt this trend, then strengthening their skinny squad is essential. Emanuelson played under Martin Jol at Ajax before his move to the San Siro, where he had become a regular in the Milan side until just before Christmas. With wide players such as Damien Duff, long-term absentee Simon Davies and John Arne Riise heading into the twilight of their careers, it's time to reinforce.

Mohamed Diame to Everton

With the news that Everton's proposed deal to sign Leroy Fer is off due to issues with his medical, there is a real necessity for the Toffees to recruit a replacement centre midfielder. Fer, nicknamed 'The Bouncer' for his sizeable frame, was supposed to add drive to their central midfield with technical ability to boot. If reports that his release clause is set at £3.5 million are true, then West Ham's all-action midfield maestro Diame would make the perfect substitute. With Darren Gibson constantly in the physio room and Marouane Fellaini pushed up to support Nikica Jelavic, this is exactly the sort of player that David Moyes needs to push for fourth spot.