Pompey Eye �£9m Brown Swoop

[ian1964 10,457]

PORTSMOUTH are lining up a stunning �£9million bid for Celtic midfield ace Scott Brown.

 

SunSport can reveal Pompey boss Tony Adams has had the dynamic playmaker watched in THREE recent Hoops games.

 

And Brown�s all-action performance in the 1-0 Old Firm triumph at Ibrox has convinced the Fratton Park club to tee up a move.

 

Parkhead boss Gordon Strachan will be reluctant to offload a player he sees as crucial to his side�s hopes of clinching a fourth successive SPL title.

 

But former England and Arsenal hero Adams could test Celtic�s resolve with a bumper offer for the Scotland star.

 

Pompey have just sold Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid for a breathtaking �£20m.

 

And Jermaine Defoe is set to follow him out the door â�� handing the south coast side another potential �£16m windfall.

 

That leaves them well placed to come in with a megabucks bid should Celtic give any hint they are willing to deal.

 

Losing the all-action Diarra was a huge blow for the FA Cup holders.

 

But it�s understood Adams has discussed Brown�s abilities with his staff and been sufficiently impressed to include him on a short-list of targets, which also includes Middlesbrough�s Gary O�Neil.

 

Brown cost Celtic a record �£4.4million in May 2007, but he failed to convince fans in his debut campaign.

 

This season, though, the 23-year-old has been outstanding in Celtic�s engine room and Strachan won�t want to lose him.

 

The Fifer signed a five-year, �£25,000-a-week deal as Celtic beat off competition from rivals Rangers to his signature.

 

Pompey would comfortably be able to improve Brown�s wages.

 

Newcastle United are among other clubs who have tracked his progress.

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/article2086783.ece

[juffery 0]

Tony Adamsa isn't gonna last long, is he?