Mike Williamson’s Newcastle move put on hold

Jan 23 2010 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

NEWCASTLE United’s move for Mike Williamson was in serious doubt last night after cash-strapped Portsmouth found themselves locked in a wrangle over back-payment with the defender’s former club Watford.

United agreed personal terms with the defender ahead of a £1m move yesterday and had hoped to announce the signing, but the transfer was at an impasse as it emerged Portsmouth are yet to pay the majority of the money they owe the Hornets for Williamson, who moved to the South Coast in August last year.

The Hornets are due a sell-on fee and a large chunk of back payments related to the original £2m deal that took him to Fratton Park and there were claims last night that if a deal was pushed through Watford could be entitled to as much £1.5m.

The fee agreed between Newcastle and Portsmouth was only £1m – meaning the sale would actually end up costing the stricken Premier League basement dwellers.

Newcastle are awaiting further developments and Chris Hughton told The Journal last night he was still optimistic about a deal being pushed through but, unless Watford agree to take a major hit on the money they are owed, the transfer appears doomed.

A loan deal is one way of pushing through the switch, but nothing appears to be straightforward at the imperilled South Coast outfit, who have endured a week of constant speculation about their impoverished financial state.

The capture of Williamson would be timely with United assessing a knee injury suffered by Steven Taylor in training on Thursday – a knock that sees him rested for today’s FA Cup fourth round trip to West Bromwich Albion. “I’m still very much hopeful of a deal going through as soon as possible,” Hughton told The Journal last night.

“I know where we were in the morning and it’s just a case of waiting and seeing at the moment.”