Villa finally agree fee for Davies

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Aston Villa are set to sign highly-rated defender Curtis Davies after agreeing a fee of £9 million ($18 million) with West Brom for the England U21 international.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill, who has been tracking Davies for several months, expects to finally get his man before the transfer window closes on Friday night.

Tottenham were also interested in Davies but the 22-year-old will become O'Neill's second center-back signing this week after his $7 million swoop for Fulham's Zat Knight.

West Brom manager Tony Mowbray confirmed that Midlands rivals Villa had been allowed to speak to Davies, who has not played for the Championship club this season while he waited for his future to be resolved.

"We've given Curtis permission to speak to Aston Villa but the deal is not concluded and is ongoing," Mowbray said. "We'll wait and see if anything gets concluded.

"But the bottom line is Curtis hasn't contributed at all for us this season and, if he goes, we'll just get on with what we've been doing."

In other English Premier League news, Everton have brought Thomas Gravesen back to Goodison Park after agreeing a season-long loan for the Celtic midfielder.

The 31-year-old Denmark international, who has not played for the Scottish champions this season, left the Toffees to join Real Madrid more than two years ago.

He was targeted by manager David Moyes after a move for Benfica's Manuel Fernandes collapsed last weekend.

Reading manager Steve Coppell has angrily rejected West Ham's $8 million offer for England left-back Nicky Shorey.

The 26-year-old has rejected a new contract with the Royals, and West Ham hoped to take advantage with a cut-price bid.

But Coppell said: "It's almost a tactic now to make an offer for a player then to go public with it. But we considered the offer that was made a non-serious one. It was almost derisory in view of the current transfer market.

"We responded in the negative and we haven't heard anything back from the club which made that offer."

Wigan have signed Moroccan striker Rachid Bouaouzan from Sparta Rotterdam for an undisclosed fee.

Bouaouzan, 23, has agreed a three-year contract with the Latics.

He was banned from football and jailed for six months for breaking the leg of Go Ahead Eagles forward Niels Kokmeijer in 2004, and recently fell out with coach Gert Aandewiel.

Manchester City have allowed former England full-back Danny Mills to join Championship side Charlton on loan until the end of this year.

The 30-year-old, who spent 15 months at The Valley between March 1998 and June 1999, has not played since November when a loan spell at Hull was curtailed by a stress fracture to his shin.

Fulham have signed England U20 defender Nathan Ashton on a two-year contract from Charlton.

Meanwhile, former Holland international Patrick Kluivert has signed for French club Lille.

The 31-year-old striker, who set a national record of 40 goals in 79 games for the Netherlands, was a free agent after being released by PSV Eindhoven at the end of last season. E-mail to a friend