Man City set to sign Mariga, Gago, Johnson

It's Deadline Day, and across the length and breadth of England  - except in Portsmouth - Premier League bosses will be eyeing the transfer window and wondering whether there's still time to put a hand through and grab a bargain before it closes at 5pm tonight.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has been thwarted in his attempt to land Parma's Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga. The clubs agreed a deal, but the player was refused a work permit. Mariga, who has 24 caps for Kenya, has appearing in more than three-quarters of his country's internationals over the last two years, but his application failed as Kenya are ranked outside the top 70 nations.

City will appeal against the decision, but will not be able to register Mariga as a player in the current window. City striker Valeri Bojinoc, who currently on loan at Parma, may now return to the club.

Mancini is more confident of landing Fernando Gago (above) of Real Madrid – as well as Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.

Real Madrid's Gago is Eastlands-bound, according to the Mirror, after City upped their original offer of £17m to one of £20m. The papers quotes the player's agent, Marcello Lombilla, as saying: "Manchester City will present a formal offer to Real Madrid on Monday and then the decision is up to Real Madrid and we are awaiting an answer."

But Lombilla says he's confident the deal will go ahead and the 23-year-old Argentine will join City after four seasons with Real Madrid.

As for the Johnson deal, the Mirror says that won't cost City as much as Gago: £6million is believed to be the price Middlesbrough have put on the 22-year-old Johnson's head, and City will cough up the cash today.

The Riverside club turned down City's first two "derisory offers" of £4m and £5m, but have apparently accepted the third bid of £6m. The news will delight Johnson who, says the Mirror, "fancies City above all other clubs", including Chelsea, the Blues having previously expressed an interest in the talented youngster.

It seems Everton have won the race to sign Jermaine Beckford, one of the hottest homegrown talents in English football right now. The 26-year-old sharpshooter scored the Leeds goal that dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup last month and ever since clubs have been falling over themselves to sign 'Becks: the sequel'. But the Daily Star says Everton "are confident they have won the battle" for Beckford, who bagged a brace in Leeds' recent draw with Spurs in the fourth round of the cup. The papers says Everton boss David Moyes has persuaded Beckford to come to Merseyside, as well as convincing Leeds chairman Ken Bates to sell the super striker.

In other news, Sky Sports reports that Wigan "have signed highly-rated forward" Victor Moses from Crystal Palace. They say that the player's agent, Tony Finnegan, has confirmed that the Nigerian-born Moses had agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with Wigan, despite a rumour last week that Arsenal were about to make a move for the powerful striker.

The Sun says Stoke boss Tony Pulis will use Deadline Day "to bring Jermaine Pennant back to England". The former Arsenal and Liverpool winger has been in Spain with Real Zaragoza since the start of the season, but the Potters want the 27-year-old to bolster their squad in the second half of the season.

West Ham may be on the verge of signing Brazilian striker Ilan, according to the Daily Mail. The Hammers had been set to snap up Eidur Gudjohnsen from Monaco last week, until Spurs pinched the Icelandic striker from under their noses, so West Ham have turned instead to Ilan and will pay "a nominal fee" to bring him from St Etienne in the French First Division to Upton Park.

It seems that Gudjohnsen's arrival at White Hart Lane will prompt Robbie Keane to leave Spurs for Sunderland. The Mirror says that Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will today make an £8m offer for the Irishman because he "wants Keane to link-up again with Darren Bent". ·