Jewell uses Chimbonda cash to sign 'new team'

Wigan Athletic wasted little time in parting with some of their Pascal Chimbonda windfall last night by signing the Ireland international Kevin Kilbane from Everton for £2m, Bristol City forward David Cotterill for £2m and Svetoslav Todorov from Portsmouth.

Kilbane, 29, had been a target of Birmingham and Fulham but offers of £750,000 failed to tempt David Moyes into offloading him. Wigan's approach, however, which could rise to £2.5m, was too good for the Everton manager to refuse and, despite being left with just Andy Van der Meyde on the left, he reluctantly sanctioned the deal.

With the triple purchase yesterday, Wigan have now signed 11 players this summer. The Latics bought Cotterill, the 18-year-old Welsh international, with less than two hours to go before the transfer window last night and, with just one hour to go, signed 28-year-old Bulgaria striker Todorov on a season-long loan from Portsmouth.

Paul Jewell, the Wigan manager, said: "We have now brought in 11 new players, a whole new team and the quality we are signing speaks for itself."

Liverpool were ultimately frustrated in their exhaustive attempt to prise Lucas Neill from Blackburn. Rovers had initially rejected a £2m offer from Rafael Benitez's club for the defender, but would have accepted that sum plus Stephen Warnock in exchange for a player with only 12 months remaining on his contract at Ewood Park.

Liverpool, by contrast, wanted Neill plus cash for Warnock, and their differences resulted in stalemate. Benitez is likely to rekindle his interest in the Australian international in January.

Liverpool did raise £1.7m when they sold Jan Kromkamp to PSV Eindhoven last night, and they could be reacquainted with the Dutch international when they play PSV in the Champions' League group stages.

The Portsmouth manager, Harry Redknapp, completed three transfer deadline-day signings by landing the Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar from Hajduk Split on a four-year deal, Andy Cole in a £500,000 move from Manchester City and Roudolphe Mbela Douala on a season-long loan from Sporting Lisbon.

Cole said: "It's an opportunity to play for another two years ­ score a few goals and to get the club into the top 10."