Portsmouth F.C. Supporters Club of U.S.A.

Redknapp swoops for Swiss striker

Portsmouth have made their first signing of the January transfer window with the acquisition of Swiss striker Danijel Subotic from Basle.

The 18-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal at Fratton Park for an undisclosed fee.

"He was recommended to us so we brought him over for a few days' training and he did well," Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp told the club's website.

"We've taken a gamble on him and hopefully he's one for the future."

With John Utaka, Kanu, Sulley Muntari and Papa Bouba Diop all heading to the African Cup of Nations, Redknapp is keen to sign reinforcements.

The loss of Utaka and Kanu leaves him with only two recognised strikers - Benjani and David Nugent.

"We need to get some people in but it's hard," Redknapp said.

"You look around and who is going to loan you anybody? The only place you might get a few loans is abroad.

"We need to strengthen out wide and up front in particular."

With his side staring at the prospect of relegation in 2006, Redknapp used the January window to bring in no less than five players.

Although Pompey find themselves towards the other end of the table this time round, the manager is again keen to do business.

"Even if everyone is fit, we're low on outfield players capable of playing in the Premier League.

"So we need to get three or four in really to help during the games that the African players will miss, but it's not easy to find them."

FA Cup fourth round draw

Non-league Havant & Waterlooville have been given the chance of a dream trip to Anfield in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Blue Square South side need to beat Swansea in their third-round replay, while Liverpool must defeat Luton.

Manchester United face either Tottenham or Reading, Arsenal will take on either Stoke or Newcastle, while holders Chelsea travel to Wigan.

Giant-killers Oldham and Huddersfield have drawn each other, while League Two's Mansfield host Middlesbrough.

Coventry's impressive 4-1 win over Blackburn in the third round is rewarded with a home tie against either Walsall or Millwall.

But with 12 third-round matches still to be decided, the draw for the fourth round will have to wait until the replays are out of the way to truly take shape.

Nevertheless, the possibility of Liverpool hosting a team five leagues below them has caught the imagination.

"It's a fantastic draw - it couldn't have gone much better," Havant player-manager Charlie Oatway told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I think we'll have the old tin hats on if we get that far. But it's great to see that light at the end of the tunnel in the shape of a big club like Liverpool."

Mansfield manager Billy Dearden, whose side are second from bottom in League Two, admitted getting past Middlesbrough would be a tall order.

"They are a top-class team, we'll have to be at our best to get any kind of result," said the Stags boss, whose side beat Brighton on Saturday.

"But it's a tremendous draw. We've got a Premier League club at home and we're looking forward to it."

The draw - conducted by former FA Cup winners Alan Cork and John Aldridge - ensured that at least seven non-Premier League teams will make it through to the last 16.

The ties will all take place over the weekend of 26-27 January.

Tottenham's Premier League clash against Chelsea has been brought forward two days to accommodate their FA Cup replay against Reading.

Spurs' Premier League game at Stamford Bridge was due to be live on TV on 14 January, but it will now be played on Saturday, with the replay at Reading scheduled for Tuesday.

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Full draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup

Arsenal v Stoke City/Newcastle
Coventry v Walsall/Millwall
Oldham v Huddersfield Town
Swindon/Barnet v Fulham/Bristol Rovers
Wigan v Chelsea
Luton/Liverpool v Swansea/Havant & Waterlooville
Southend v Barnsley
Southampton v Norwich/Bury
Man Utd v Tottenham/Reading
Pompey v Plymouth
Derby/Sheff Wed v Preston
Watford v Wolves
Peterborough v Charlton/West Brom
Sheff Utd v West Ham/Man City
Mansfield v Middlesbrough
Tranmere/Hereford v Cardiff

Ties to be played on 26 & 27 January

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FA Cup third-round replay dates

Tuesday 15 January

West Brom v Charlton
Bury v Norwich
Barnet v Swindon
Reading v Tottenham
Millwall v Walsall
Bristol Rovers v Fulham
Sheffield Wednesday v Derby
Liverpool v Luton

Wednesday 16 January

Man City v West Ham
Havant & Waterlooville v Swansea
Newcastle v Stoke
Hereford v Tranmere

South Korea striker Cho Jae-Jin on trial

Portsmouth have taken South Korea striker Cho Jae-Jin on trial with a view to signing the free agent recently rejected by Premier League rivals Newcastle.

The 26-year-old, who has eight goals for his country in 29 matches, has turned down a new contract at his J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse after scoring 34 goals in 79 appearances and is keen to break into the English game.

Newcastle pulled out of a move and the player has also been linked with Fulham, West Ham, Ajax and Utrecht.

Now he will aim to convince manager Harry Redknapp he is worthy of a permanent move to Portsmouth, who have also completed the signing of promising Danish striker Adda Djeziri after a successful trial.

The 19-year-old spent the first part of the season on loan at Leicester from Boldklubben Frem but failed to break into the first team.

Last year, he played for the Rangers Under-19 side which secured the Scottish Youth Cup and league double but the club decided not to pay the £125,000 to make his stay permanent.

Djeziri has arrived at Fratton Park with Danijel Subotic and the pair featured in the reserves' goalless draw with Chelsea on Monday night.

First team coach Joe Jordan believes both are players for the future.

'We have brought in a couple of promising lads but they are young and not really going to figure in the first team for a good while yet,' he said.

Redknapp's immediate concern is bringing in ready-made replacements for £20million African quartet Sulley Muntari, Kanu, John Utaka and Papa Bouba Diop, who have flown out to the African Nations Cup, which runs until February 10.

The Pompey boss has only 14 senior players available for Sunday's trip to Sunderland and it now looks certain he will have to sell out-of-favour Matt Taylor to finance any new deals.

Bolton and Sunderland have emerged as favourites to sign the versatile midfielder, with Wanderers boss Gary Megson claiming his club have already agreed a deal.

However, Redknapp insisted: 'I can't let Matty go until I have signed other people capable of playing at Premier League level.'

He told the Portsmouth News: 'It is Matty who wants to go. He said his head wasn't right to play in the FA Cup tie at Ipswich last Saturday and so I left him out, but there is no point in letting him go until we have a replacement.

'And I have nobody in mind at the moment who fits the bill. I've tried Spurs, who have a lot of players and for some of Arsenal's fantastic kids, but it looks like they don't want to loan us anybody.'

Portsmouth are likely to want around £4million for Taylor and that would have a major benefit for crisis-club Luton, who sold the player to Pompey for £400,000 in 2002 but are believed to have also agreed a percentage of any sell-on fee.

That could mean a windfall of about £500,000 for the cash-strapped Bedfordshire club - matching the income from their FA Cup third-round meeting with Liverpool last weekend.