Dugarry's £4m deal to keep Birmingham up

Christophe Dugarry, the French World Cup winner, is expected to sign for Birmingham City next week in a deal worth around £4m, if he keeps them in the Premiership.

The 30-year-old midfielder has met club officials to discuss a free transfer from Bordeaux and is close to agreeing to an initial six-month contract which would be extended by two years should Birmingham stay up. The signing is expected to be completed when Dugarry comes back from a Christmas break in the Seychelles.

The Birmingham manager, Steve Bruce, has, meanwhile, been making alternative arrangements should the Dugarry move stall. He has made inquiries about the Ipswich Town striker, Marcus Bent, who he briefly coached while at Crystal Palace. West Ham United and Fulham have also considered making a move for Bent when the transfer window reopens next month.

Dugarry scored eight times in 55 games for France, before retiring from international football after the World Cup last summer. He has experience of playing abroad after spells at AC Milan in Italy and Barcelona in Spain.

Everton are expected to offer Joseph Yobo a new deal in order to convince the 22-year-old to stay at the club. The Nigerian defender has been in outstanding form this season since signing on loan from Marseille after the World Cup finals and Everton are keen to improve the terms of his contract in order to scare off hostile bids when the transfer window opens in January.

Yobo's loan move has since been made permanent after the Everton owner Bill Kenwright paid Marseille £4.5m to complete the transfer and tie the defender to a five-year contract. Yobo earns in the region of £16,000 per week, but Everton are prepared to increase that to ensure he remains at the club.

Glenn Roeder, the West Ham United manager, is in talks with Yakubu Ayegbeni in the hope of signing the Nigerian striker on loan from Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa with a view to a £3m transfer. Ayegbeni has impressed in the Champions' League this season, scoring two hat-tricks, and a goal against Manchester United. Ayegbeni, who is also a target for Portsmouth, was linked with Derby County last season but failed to obtain a work permit. He has since married and now holds an EC passport.