Blackpool set to sign forward on the cheap
Rafael van der Vaart will likely prove the best value-for-money capture in the top half of the Premier League this season but Blackpool are on course to secure the bottom half's biggest bargain after Ian Holloway confirmed it will cost them only £250,000 to make Luke Varney's loan move permanent.
The forward couldn't get a game at Derby in the Championship yet has struck four times in ten starts for Blackpool, the latest a stunning volley against Wolves, to help put four points-worth of breathing space between the Seasiders and the relegation zone.
Holloway revealed that he was given the idea of bringing in Varney - known as "Reg" by everyone at Bloomfield Road - by the 28-year-old's ex-boss Dario Gradi after a pre-season friendly against Crewe and a long-term switch will be agreed in January provided the former Charlton man takes a pay cut.
The Blackpool boss said: "We are going to sign him in January. We have a massive clause in there. He can't go anywhere else and we get him for £250,000. They can't change that, there's nothing they can do about it. Unlucky."
It has taken Varney no time at all to buy into the Blackpool ethos. He said: "My confidence is probably as high as it's ever been. That's got to be the case when you've got a gaffer who lets you go out and express yourself. It really reflects in my football, and I owe a great deal to him and everyone at Blackpool for giving me this chance."
Is the striker one of the signings of the campaign? Let us know below...
Published: 22 Nov 2010
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