Benjani Mwaruwari

MANCHESTER CITY are trying to wriggle out of a £10m move for Benjani – because of problems with his medical AFTER the deal was registered.

City officials rushed through the Zimbabwean’s move from Portsmouth before the results of tests on the striker and talks over personal terms had been fully concluded.

But they were left frantically trying to pull out of the deal after certain issues came to light in the medical, even though all the paperwork had been sent through to Premier League HQ and Pompey had been told the deal had been sealed.

There are no suggestions that the striker actually failed his medical – but there are issues which needed to be resolved.

Pompey only faxed through their documents to sign Jermain Defoe after getting a call from City giving them the all-clear that the Benjani transfer was wrapped up. Benjani missed flights out of Southampton on Thursday at 3.15 and 5pm. The next flight, at 6.45, was cancelled and the one he caught at 8.50 was delayed.

It meant Benjani did not arrive at City until 11.10pm, 50 minutes before the transfer deadline.

It seems City pushed through the deal in a hurry and have been left with egg on their faces. Pompey now insist Benjani is officially a City player – and there seems little Sven Goran Eriksson’s men can do to avoid paying up.

League lawyers are looking at the paperwork but are unlikely to make any decision until next week.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is in no doubt who owns Benjani – City.

He said: “Thursday night at five to twelve everything was done at our end.

“We were waiting to put the forms through and Peter Storrie got the OK from City, saying their forms had gone off.

“As far as we were concerned it was a done deal. At 12.30 a message came back saying one or two of the forms from Man City’s end had not gone through so I don’t know where it is at the moment.

“He was late getting up there, I think that caused a problem. He knew the night before, but took a long time arriving.&

“I think it came out of the blue a bit for him, but £9m for someone who is nearly 30 is good money.&

“The two things were tied in. The £9m& we were getting for Benjani was paying for Defoe.&

“Benjani is still in Manchester and the two clubs are talking, trying to see where we go with it and we are talking to the Premier League and FA.”