STOKE CITY swooped to sign three players before the transfer deadline . . . headed by the major coup in securing the services of Eidur Gudjohnsen on loan.
While Gudjohnsen's switch from Monaco and Marc Wilson's signing from Portsmouth had been widely anticipated, manager Tony Pulis sprung a last-minute surprise by acquiring former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant on loan from Real Zaragoza until January.
All three signings went right to the wire, but they completed a successful transfer window in which they set a new club record in purchasing Kenwyne Jones from Sunderland for £8 million and then captured Jon Walters from Ipswich Town in a £2.75 million deal.
Manager Tony Pulis had clearly indicated that he wanted to bring goals to his first team squad and the signings of Gudjohnsen and Pennant, coming on top of those of Jones and Walters, fulfilled that objective on what proved to be a busy deadline day.
"They're all fantastic signing for this Football Club, especially considering how tough the market has been this summer, and this has given us an excellent chance to continue improving at this level," proclaimed a delighted Pulis.
City's manager made a fourth signing on the day when experienced midfielder Salif Diao returned to the Britannia Stadium to sign a new two-year agreement.
While Diao was putting pen to paper, Republic of Ireland Under-21 star Wilson arrived for talks about a player-plus-cash exchange deal that takes Liam Lawrence and David Kitson in the opposite direction to Championship club Portsmouth.
Then, Icelandic international Gudjohnsen arrived for talks in the afternoon before being shown City's new £7 million training facility at Clayton Wood.
But in the final countdown to the 6.00pm transfer deadline, it emerged that Pulis, a long time admirer of Pennant, had managed to clinch the signing of the 27-year-old winger on a six-month loan agreement from the Spanish club Real Zaragoza.
City are awaiting confirmation from the FA and Premier League that the transfers of Gudjohnsen, Wilson and Pennant have gone through.
