August 26 2004

Iain Dowie

With the Premiership transfer window about to slam shut until January, Palace boss Iain Dowie is hoping to complete at least one high-profile signing that "will raise an eyebrow" this week, by Joseph O'Shea.

So far this summer, Dowie has spent just £3.6million on eight transfers, with the £1.5million paid to Southampton for 23-year-old defender Fitz Hall, his biggest outlay.

But before his side faced Chelsea on Tuesday night, the 39-year-old Palace revealed he is hopeful of signing at least one big name player as one of three incoming transfers before the Premiership window closes at midnight next Tuesday (August 31).

He said: "We would like to get three or four more over the line. We have only got until the end of the week, but we hope to have someone in this week who I believe will raise an eyebrow."

Palace have been linked this week with a £6m double swoop for Inter Milan's South American pair Argentinian midfielder Kily Gonzalez, 30, and 24-year-old Uruguayan defender Gonzalo Sorondo.

Dowie’s response was the obligatory "no comment" having seen numerous transfers fall through after being made public this summer, but his brother Bob Dowie, Palace’s director of football has travelled to Italy in recent weeks.

Inter spokesman Paolo Vignano said: "There has been telephone contact with Crystal Palace over Gonzalez and Sorondo. We expect there to be more contact after we have played our Champions League qualifying match on Tuesday."

A former Champions League finalist with Valencia, Gonzalez played for Argentina at they reach the Olympic final by beating Italy in Athens on Tuesday, but is no longer wanted at Inter after former coach Hector Cuper’s departure.

Uruguayan hardman Sorondo joined Inter in 2001 but spent most of last year on loan at Standard Liege after an injury hit 2002/3 season. He has scored one goal in 21 international appearances.

Dowie added: "If it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen, but we are hopeful."

Palace are believed to be tracking Liverpool’s Salif Diao with a view to a year’s loan deal, Portsmouth's troubled Israeli international Eyal Berkovic, Stoke right-back John Halls and West Brom left back Neil Clement, as Dowie seeks to strengthen central midfield, and the left side where he is short of cover.

Having handed a debut to Ecuadorian loan signing Ivan Kaviedes on Saturday, Dowie could be set to offer his international team-mate Angel Fernandez a short-term contract.

The 33-year-old attacking midfielder has been on trial at New Beckenham and may prove a handy back-up option if Dowie fails to land his big name target.

He said: "Angel Fernandez is on trial and has done okay. He is an established international and he is a little bit older (than Kaviedes) but he certainly has some ability and we will have a little perusal in the next couple of days."

- Hamstring victims Danny Butterfield and Darren Powell are back in training but are two weeks away from contention, while Shipperley (tendonitis) is three weeks away.

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