Window Shopping Screamer Special

By SIMON CASS

Newcastle are on the verge of completing their first transfer window signing with the £5million capture of Ajax striker Ryan Babel.

The deal will see out-of-favour striker Albert Luque move to Ajax, ending a miserable 18 months on Tyneside.

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The arrival of Babel will delight manager Glenn Roeder who has been desperate to find a quality strike partner for summer signing Obafemi Martins.

The towering 20-yearold is a product of Ajax's famed youth system.

Such was his impact at an early age that Holland coach Marco van Basten brought him into the Dutch squad before he had played a senior game for Ajax.

Van Basten said: "He has the potential to become the next Thierry Henry."

Having made his debut for Ajax at 17, Babel has made more than 60 appearances for the Dutch side, playing mostly in an unfavoured left-wing position.

Ajax had been keen for Babel to extend his contract beyond 2008, but it became clear he has his heart set on the Premiership.

Roeder has Arsenal forward Robin van Persie partly to thank for Babel's readiness to move to the North-East.

The pair are friends and on a recent visit to The Emirates, Van Persie helped convince Babel to play in England.

Number three signs up for Charlton

Charlton have completed the signing of 24-year-old Algeria centre back Madjid Bougherra from Sheffield Wednesday in a £2.5million deal.

Bougherra becomes Alan Pardew's third signing this month following the captures of Zheng Zhi and Ben Thatcher.

Alan Bennett for Reading

Reading have agreed a fee of £250,000 to sign Cork central defender Alan Bennett at the third attempt.

Two previous bids from the Premier League side had been rejected, but Cork chairman Brian Lennox has travelled to the Madejski Stadium to finalise the deal.

Bennett, 23, will join former Cork team-mates Kevin Doyle and Shane Long at Reading, who lost first-choice centre-half Ibrahima Sonko to a knee injury last week.

Tacchinardi linked with Rovers

Italian midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi is a potential target for Blackburn if they are unable to persuade Lee Hendrie to move to Ewood Park.

Rovers need a replacement for broken leg victim Robbie Savage and are hopeful of beating Sheffield United to sign Hendrie from Aston Villa.

But they are also considering a move for 31-year-old Tacchinardi who is out of favour at Villarreal where he has been on loan from Juventus since 2005.

Blackburn defender Jay McEveley joins Derby today after the clubs agreed a £600,000 fee.